Analyzing MS Dhoni’s
Performance:
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (born 7 July 1981) is an Indian professional cricketer.
He is a right handed batter and a wicket-keeper. Widely regarded as one of the
most prolific wicket-keeper-batsmen and captains, he represented the Indian
cricket team and was the captain of the side in limited-overs formats from 2007
to 2017 and in test cricket from 2008 to 2014. Dhoni has captained the most
international matches and is the most successful Indian captain. He has led India
to victory in the 2011 Cricket World Cup, the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 and
the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, the only captain to win three different limited
overs tournaments. He also led the teams that won the Asia
Cup in 2010, 2016 and was a member of the title winning squad in 2018.
Born in Ranchi, Dhoni made his first class debut for Bihar in 1999. He made his
debut for the Indian cricket team on 23 December 2004 in
an ODI against Bangladesh and played his first test a year later against Sri
Lanka. In 2007, he became the captain of the ODI side before taking over in all
formats by 2008. Dhoni retired from test cricket in 2014, but continued playing
in limited overs cricket till 2019. He has scored 17,266 runs in international
cricket including 10,000 plus runs at an average of more than 50 in ODIs.
Dhoni plays for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, leading them to the final on
ten occasions and winning it five times (2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023). He
has also led CSK to two Champions League T20 titles in 2010 and 2014. He is
amongst the few batsmen to have scored more than five thousand runs in the
IPL, as well as being the first wicket-keeper to do so.
In 2008, Dhoni was awarded India's highest sport honor Major Dhyan Chand
Khel Ratna Award by Government of India. He received the fourth highest
civilian award Padma Shri in 2009 and third highest civilian award Padma
Bhushan in 2018. Dhoni holds an honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in
the Parachute Regiment of the Indian Territorial Army which was presented to
him by the Indian Army in 2011. He is one of the most popular cricketers in the
world.
As one of the most iconic cricketers of his generation, MS Dhoni’s retirement
has been a topic of much speculation and debate. In this analysis, we delve into
various performance metrics over the last 5 seasons (2019–2023) to evaluate
whether Dhoni is still good enough to continue playing after the 2024 IPL
season.
Dhoni is a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper.[116] Dhoni is an unorthodox
batsman who deviates from conventional coaching manuals to showcase his
batting technique.[161] Dhoni displays a proclivity for hitting full-
length deliveries towards the Long-on, Long-off, and Midwicket regions, rather
than the conventional Cover region.[161] He plays pull shots and hook shots
off short-pitched deliveries often putting pressure on the bowler to adjust their
line and length accordingly. Dhoni holds the bat with a firm grip at the bottom of
the handle, striking the ball with force and precision to clear the
boundary.[162] He is a powerful hitter of the ball and is one of the fastest men in
running between the wickets.[163] He plays the helicopter shot technique, taught
to him by a fellow player and childhood friend Santosh Lal.[164][165][166] As a
batsman, he is recognized for his finishing skills in high-pressure situations.[167]
I have analyses Dhoni’s performance on the following metrics.
1. Dhoni’s Strike Rate Over the Last 5 Seasons:
Dhoni’s strike rate is a crucial indicator of his batting prowess and ability to
score runs efficiently. We analyzed his strike rate across the last 5 seasons to
assess his consistency and impact.
From the above graph, Dhoni has demonstrated a consistent strike rate over the
past 5 seasons, indicating his ability to contribute effectively with the bat.
2. Dhoni’s Strike Rate in the Death Overs (16–20) in the
last 5 seasons:
The death overs are critical in limited-overs cricket, and a batsman’s
performance during this period can significantly influence the outcome of a
match. We analyzed Dhoni’s strike rate specifically during these overs to
gauge his ability to finish innings strongly.
From the above graph, Dhoni has consistently displayed an explosive strike rate
in the death overs of the last 5 seasons of the IPL, with his strike rate
consistently exceeding 145 and reaching as high as 176. These statistics
showcase his exceptional proficiency in finishing matches strongly during the
latter stages of an innings.
3. Dhoni’s Team Contribution Percentage Over the Last 5
Seasons:
Dhoni’s contribution to his team’s success goes beyond his individual batting
performance. We analyzed his team contribution percentage across the last 5
seasons to assess his overall impact on match outcomes.
From the above graph, it is evident that Dhoni’s team contribution percentage
has shown a steady decline over the past 5 seasons of the IPL, with the highest
recorded percentage being 17.5% in 2019 and the lowest being 4% in 2023. This
trend indicates a reduction in Dhoni’s impact on the team’s overall performance.
Additionally, the decrease in his team contribution percentage correlates with a
decline in the runs scored by Dhoni compared to the aggregate runs scored by all
team members.
4. Dhoni’s Performance Compared to Other Wicketkeeper
Batsmen in the Last 5 Seasons:
Comparing Dhoni’s performance against other wicketkeeper batsmen
provides context to his overall standing in the cricketing landscape. We
analysed his strike rate and runs scored relative to his peers to evaluate his
competitiveness.
Dhoni’s strike rate and runs have not been on par with other
wicketkeeper batsmen, indicating a potential decline in his
performance compared to his peers.
BATTING ANALYSIS OF MS DHONI IN ODI {2017-19}
Year Innings Runs Balls Outs Avg 50 100 4s 6s
2017 22 788 930 13 60.6 6 1 60 19
2018 13 275 385 11 25 0 0 19 2
2019 16 600 729 10 60 6 0 42 11
Total 297 10,773 12,305 209 51.5 73 10 826 229
ODI BATTING
1000
900
800
700
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500
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300
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100
0
Innings Runs Balls Outs Avg 50 100 4s 6s
2017 2018 2019
BATTING ANALYSIS OF MS DHONI IN T20I {2017-19}
Year Innings Runs Balls Outs Avg 50 100 4s 6s
2017 11 252 182 6 42 1 0 19 9
2018 5 123 79 3 41 1 0 13 4
2019 5 130 112 3 43.3 0 0 9 5
Total 84 1,617 1,282 39 41.5 2 0 116 52
T20I BATTING
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Innings Runs Balls Outs Avg 50 100 4s 6s
2017 2018 2019
BATTING ANALYSIS OF MS DHONI IN TWENTY-20{2017-19}
Year Innings Runs Balls Outs Avg 50 100 4s 6s
2017 15 290 250 11 26.4 1 0 15 16
2018 15 455 302 6 75.8 3 0 24 30
2019 12 416 309 4 104 3 0 22 23
TOTAL
42 1161 861 21 206.2 7 0 61 69
TWENTY - 20 BATTING
500
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300
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150
100
50
0
Innings Runs Balls Outs Avg 50 100 4s 6s
2017 2018 2019
From all of the above analysis, we can conclude that Dhoni has clearly
made his impact as a batsman with scoring more than 10,000 runs at an
average of more than 50, coming in top 10 for all the filters/divisions that
we applied. Dhoni still holds the record for gaining the ICC ranking 1 in
the least number of innings. Talking about his finishing ability, it can be
concluded that the tag of finisher given to him is not a myth, he has come
out not out from the ground the greatest number of times as compared to
any other batsman in the history of the game. Also having an average of
greater than 100 while chasing, and winning 94% of the matches in which
he remained not out, all concluding that he’s one of the best finishers the
game has ever witnessed. Coming to the wicketkeeping numbers, he has
developed himself into one of the finest Wicketkeepers of the game with
more than 400 dismissals behind the stumps and the only player to do more
than 100 stumpings in international cricket. The number of stumpings says
all about the lightning-fast speed of his hands. Also, he holds the record for
the fastest stumping ever recorded in cricket history. And as a captain, he is
one of the most successful captain with winning 110 matches, second-
highest for a captain, and leading the team to win both the ICC Trophies of
50 over format.
As a Dhoni fan myself, it’s with a heavy heart that I conclude that it’s time
for him to retire after the 2024 IPL season. It’s important to separate
emotional attachment from objective analysis, and based on the evidence
presented, Dhoni’s retirement seems like the logical next step for the
legendary cricketer.
