MS Dhoni played 90 Tests, 350 ODIs and 98 T20Is for India from 2004-2019.
De Villiers also stated that he is happy to give credit where it’s due, revealing that he has Dhoni’s ODI World Cup winning six from 2011 engraved in his mind.
AB de Villiers scored 25 centuries in ODI cricket and all of his tons came at a strike rate of over 100, a unique record that no other batter holds in international cricket. He also holds the record for the fastest 50 in 16 balls in ODIs and the fastest ODI century off just 31 deliveries.
He was known to finish games in his unique batting style, gifted with the ability to hit all around the park, hence the moniker of ‘Mr.360’. Dhoni too is considered one of the best finishers the world has ever seen, as he was known to take the game as deep as he could while chasing and winning the matches.
During a Q & A session on social media, a fan asked AB de Villiers to pick the ‘best finisher’ between himself and Dhoni and he answered the question, taking a leaf out of Dhoni’s book.
“Obviously me (laughs).On a serious note. No, I would say definitely MS Dhoni. I love watching him play. The things he has pulled off in the past… I think of that 2011 World Cup – hitting that straight six to win the World Cup. That will be engraved in my mind forever. MS has done it so many times in all formats of the game," said AB de Villiers.
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“There’s always been a big debate over who’s the best finisher – me or him? We can settle it now – I say MS is the best finisher. I am very happy to give credit where credit is due. For CSK in the T20s and IPL and India in all formats of the game – just a fantastic person, just a fantastic man," added De Villiers.
MS Dhoni was last seen in action in IPL 2023, where he led the Chennai Super Kings to their fifth title, tying with Mumbai Indians’ record of five IPL title wins.