MS Dhoni’s achievement as a cricketer is surreal, to say the least. He has etched his name in the cricketing folklore as one of the finest captains ever.
Dhoni is the only skipper in the history to have won all three ICC white-ball trophies – 2007 World T20, 2011 Cricket World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy. Under his leadership, India also achieved No. 1 ranking in Test cricket.
In franchise T20 cricket, Dhoni left a lasting impressing by leading Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to five IPL trophies and two Champions League titles.
Recently, former South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis has offered an insight into what set Dhoni apart as a leader during their time together at CSK.
During an appearance on the Prakhar Gupta Podcast, Du Plessis highlighted that Dhoni's "superpower" as a captain was his instinctive, situational decision-making and unmatched calmness on the field, rather than relying on rigid pre-match strategies.
"This guy has an incredible understanding of the game on the field. He doesn't like to plan too much beforehand and prefers to be instinctive during the match. That was his superpower. He would read the game and the players while staying remarkably calm, as everyone knows he is a very composed person. That's something I want to take from him and apply to my own captaincy," Du Plessis said.
MS Dhoni retired from international cricket in 2020. His last appearance for India was in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final against New Zealand at Old Trafford.
However, the 45-year-old continues to feature in the IPL for CSK. While Dhoni played the IPL 2025 as an uncapped player, he sat out the entire 2026 season due to prolonged fitness issues, chiefly a troublesome calf muscle.
Earlier this week, Dhoni confirmed that he will decide on his IPL 2027 future before December, tying his potential return to a comprehensive physical fitness assessment.
"Doc, I will have to go through the test. You will have to give me the report, and then before December, I will have to see, you know, how strong I am to maybe play one more season. And if I am not, then, you know, you will have to make sure that you do everything right with me and make sure that this old vintage vehicle is running well on the road. So all the pressure is on them," Dhoni said while speaking at a healthcare event in Bengaluru.
