Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the former India captain who led the country to three ICC titles, was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame on Monday. Over a 16-year international career, Dhoni played 538 matches, scored 17,266 runs across formats, and effected 829 dismissals.

"Celebrated for his calm under pressure and unmatched tactical nous, but also a trailblazer in the shorter formats, MS Dhoni's legacy as one of the game's greatest finishers, leaders and wicketkeepers has been honoured with his induction into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame," said the ICC statement.

Reacting to being the 11th Indian cricketer to be part of the Hall of Fame, the former India skipper, who led India to the T20 World Cup win in 2007, ODI World Cup victory in 2011 and the Champions Trophy in 2013, stated that this honour would stay with him forever.

“It is an honour to be named in the ICC Hall of Fame, which recognises the contributions of cricketers across generations and from all over the world. To have your name remembered alongside such all-time greats is a wonderful feeling. It is something that I will cherish forever.”

The International Cricket Council (ICC) inducted seven cricketers - five men and two women - in its Hall of Fame 2025. Australian great Matthew Hayden and South Africa's Hashim Amla were also part of it.

A Look Back at Dhoni's India Career

Dhoni made his international debut for India in December 2004, though it began with a forgettable duck in an ODI. But it didn’t take long for the wicketkeeper-batter to announce his arrival. In the April 2005 home series against Pakistan, Dhoni was promoted up the order in the Visakhapatnam ODI—and lit up the stage with a blistering 148 off 123 balls.

In 2007, he was handed the captaincy of a young Indian T20I side—one without the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly or Rahul Dravid. Against the odds, Dhoni led India to a historic title triumph, beating arch-rivals Pakistan in the final of the inaugural T20 World Cup.

One of Dhoni’s more underrated feats came as Test captain. Under his leadership, India rose to the No. 1 spot in the ICC rankings for the first time in December 2009. As a batter, he defied convention, especially in red-ball cricket—scoring a counter-attacking 148 in just his fifth Test, against Pakistan in Faisalabad, and later a career-best 224 against Australia in Chennai in 2013.

Dhoni's greatest impact, however, came in the ODI format. He led India to a long-awaited World Cup win in 2011—28 years after the first triumph. In the final against Sri Lanka, Dhoni played a match-winning knock, capped by an iconic six over long-on at the Wankhede Stadium to "finish it off in style." Two years later, he completed a rare treble, becoming the first captain to win all three major ICC trophies after clinching the Champions Trophy in 2013.

Dhoni played his final international match in the 2019 World Cup semifinal loss to New Zealand. A year later, he announced his retirement via an Instagram post.

He continues to remain active in professional cricket, leading the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League.

Read Also: Olympic Medallist Kusale Set for Comeback

Get the latest Bollywood entertainment news, trending celebrity news, latest celebrity news, new movie reviews, latest entertainment news, latest Bollywood news, and Bollywood celebrity fashion & style updates!

HOW DID YOU LIKE THIS ARTICLE? CHOOSE YOUR EMOTICON!