5 Best innings of MS Dhoni against Sri Lanka

August 18, 2020 at 11:50 AM

India v/s Sri Lanka | From Dhoni's record in wins, to Dhawan's ...

MS Dhoni who played the game with great success announced his retirement from international cricket on last Saturday (August 15) via an Instagram post.

In nearly 16 years at the highest level, Dhoni led India through its most successful era and has the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup, and the 2013 Champions Trophy in his cabinet. Apart from International Cricket Dhoni has taken Chennai Super Kings to Win 3 IPL Titles & 1 Champions League Title under his belt.

Dhoni who ended up playing 350 ODI matches for India, has played 19% of the ODIs (67 matches) against Sri Lanka and he has scored 2383 runs at 64.41 average.

DID YOU KNOW: Sri Lanka is the opponent with whom Dhoni played most no of ODIs & scored most runs.

Here are 5 of the Best innings of MS Dhoni’s against Sri Lanka

1. 183* at Jaipur (2005)

Dhoni’s match-winning innings of 183* against Sri Lanka broke all kinds of records. With Tendulkar dismissed in the very first over of a stiff run-chase, Dhoni came in at No.3 to keep the required run-rate within India’s reach. He hit 15 fours and 10 sixes in a brutal display of ball striking. He went past Adam Gilchrist’s 172 in the process, registering the highest score for a wicket-keeper batsman in one-day cricket.


2. Century at Nagpur (2009)

This was perhaps one of those Dhoni’s knocks which couldn’t lead India to a win, but was certainly a special one. India were off to a poor start as they batted first. It was 81-3 when Dhoni arrived at the crease. He along with Kohli and then Suresh Raina put on important partnerships to take India to 301 in 50 overs. He made 107 runs in 111 balls. His knock was overshadowed by Tillakaratne Dilshan’s century which was instrumental in taking the Lankans to a win in a thriller.

3. World Cup Final 91* at Mumbai (2011)

Dhoni’s match-winning 91* against Sri Lanka in the final of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2011 remains the most significant performance of his career. The skipper, who had an average World Cup with the bat till then, saved his best for the biggest stage. When Virat Kohli was dismissed with India at 114/3 in a tricky run-chase of 275, Dhoni joined Gautam Gambhir in the middle, promoting himself above Yuvraj Singh to maintain a right-left batting combination against Muttiah Muralitharan and Suraj Randiv, the two lead spinners in the opponents’ ranks.

He first stitched a 109-run partnership with Gambhir and followed it up with an unbeaten 54-run stand with Yuvraj during his 79-ball stay. In the penultimate over, he produced probably the most talked-about moment of Indian cricket, hitting Nuwan Kulasekara for a six over long on and, with it, seizing India’s second World Cup triumph after 1983.


4. 45* at Trinidad (T20 – 2013)

India and Sri Lanka were in the final of the Tri-series which also featured the home team, West Indies. The final was being played at Port of Spain and India were asked to chase 202 runs. India needed 15 runs from the last 6 balls. Dhoni was at the crease with Ishant Sharma as India were 9 wickets down. His exceptional hitting took India home with two balls to spare and India won Tri-Nation series because of his match-winning knock of 45 off 52 balls.

5. 45* at Pallekele (T20 – 2017)

ind vs sl 2nd odi 2017: 2nd ODI: Bhuvneshwar, Dhoni help India ...

Chasing 232 in 47 Overs India had fallen to 131 for 7 from 109 – 0 by a magical bowling spell from Akila Dananjaya. Dhoni hold the nerves with Bhuvi to secure a thrilling victory. Dhoni 45* and Bhuvneshwar Kumar 53* put on a miraculous unbeaten 100-run eighth-wicket stand to seal the game.