Dhoni started his ODI career in 2004 against Bangladesh in Chattogram. Though he started very slow with his ODI debut, he compensated for it in two ODIs by smashing a brilliant innings of 148 runs in 123 balls against Pakistan in Visakhapatnam. This was the first century for Dhoni, and he announced his arrival in ODI cricket with a bang.
Dhoni did not stop here; he was consistently performing well for the team in ODI cricket. A few months after his debut in ODI, Dhoni played the best innings of his career in ODI. It was against Sri Lanka, with a score of 183 not out. His strike rate was remarkable, 126.21 with 10 sixes.
Dhoni has been a calm and composed captain, and that is reflected in his innings and performances. He has been the greatest player India has ever produced. Even after retiring from the ODI captaincy, Dhoni performed excellently under the Virat Kohli captaincy. Many ODI innings by MS Dhoni have marked their place in the history of Indian cricket. In this article, we will unveil MS Dhoni’s fastest century and the best innings of MS Dhoni’s glorious career. Let’s have a look at his best innings in ODI and more.
5 Best ODI Innings By MS Dhoni
| SR. No | Runs | Balls Faced | Fours | Sixes | Strike Rate | Against |
| 1 | 183* | 145 | 15 | 10 | 126.20 | Sri Lanka |
| 2 | 148 | 123 | 15 | 4 | 120.32 | Pakistan |
| 3 | 113* | 125 | 7 | 3 | 90.40 | Pakistan |
| 4 | 134 | 122 | 10 | 6 | 109.83 | England |
| 5 | 91* | 79 | 8 | 2 | 85.84 | Sri Lanka |
1.183* Against Sri Lanka
If we talk about the glorious ODI innings of MS Dhoni and one of MS Dhoni’s fastest century in ODI, then this inning will always top the list. MS Dhoni scored the highest run (183*) in his ODI career with just 145 deliveries. It came against Sri Lanka, where the team was chasing 299 targets. The innings were full of boundary, featuring 10 sixes and 15 fours. It is safe to say that Dhoni delivered his best ODI inning in Jaipur.
2. 148 Against Pakistan
The second-best innings of MS Dhoni’s ODI career must be this against Pakistan and it is also one of the fastest century by Dhoni. He recorded 148 runs in just 123 deliveries, featuring 15 fours and four sixes. This inning came a few months after his ODI debut, and it was a comeback for MS Dhoni. He was underperforming before this inning in ODIs. Dhoni smashed the Pakistani bowlers, and Pakistan lost the match by 58 runs.
3. 113* Against Pakistan
The third-best innings has to be this century scored by MS Dhoni against Pakistan in 2012 at Chennai. He scored 113* runs on 125 balls, featuring seven fours and three sixes. This inning was special in MS Dhoni’s ODI career. He was the only player to score a century, batting at number 7 in ODI history. Although the result was not in favour of India, the innings of Dhoni were remarkable. But he tried his best to turn the results in the Indian team’s favour.
4.134 against England
Another best inning of MS Dhoni’s ODI career came against England. He recorded 134 runs in 122 balls, featuring 10 fours and 6 sixes. India was in huge trouble in this match with a score of 25 for 3. Later, Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni together contributed immensely to the win by scoring 150 and 134, respectively. This ODI knock by MS Dhoni is remembered as the best and most crucial one in his ODI cricketing career.
5 . 91* Against Sri Lanka
This inning is the last on the list of the best five innings of ODI in MS Dhoni’s career. But it has the greatest impact. These 91* runs came in the most important match, which was the finals of the 2011 World Cup. India was down to 114 for 3. Gautam Gambhir’s 97 and MS Dhoni’s 97 off 79 deliveries contributed to the historic win of the 2011 World Cup. The best part about the inning was that Dhoni hit the six to finish off in style.
MS Dhoni’s Best Score in ODI
- Runs scored: 183*
- Balls Faced: 145
- Total Sixes: 10
- Strike Rate: 126.20
In his initial years of playing ODI, Dhoni has given the Indian team his career-best score. The former Indian captain scored a blistering 183 runs not out in just 145 deliveries against Sri Lanka. The innings were fabulous and consisted of a whopping 10 sixes. The Indian team was chasing the high target of 299 runs. And Dhoni came in third and smashed runs, which were more than half of the target India was chasing. This knock was not only the best score of MS Dhoni in her ODI career but also the knock that made her India’s best finisher
MS Dhoni’s Fastest Century in ODI
- Runs scored: 148
- Balls Faced: 123
- Total Sixes: 4
- Total Fours: 15
- Strike Rate: 120.32
MS Dhoni’s fastest century in ODI came after struggling in a few matches. He managed to score a century by playing in the lower order. The century came against Pakistan in 2005 with a score of 148 runs in 123 deliveries with 15 fours and 4 sixes. He contributed well with his century in the chase, and the Indian team defeated Pakistan with 58 runs.
Conclusion
The glorious ODI career of MS Dhoni has ended. But we cannot forget the impact and contribution of MS Dhoni in the ODIs and to the Indian cricket team.
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