“Massive boots to fill. It’s been a privilege and honour to be part of the dressing room and seeing you as a thoroughbred professional at work,” says Ravi Shastri.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, a man of few words but massive sixes, announced his retirement from international cricket in his inimitable, understated style.

“Thanks. Thanks a lot for ur love and support throughout. From 19.29 hrs consider me as Retired.”

This was the statement on August 15 evening on his official Instagram handle — mahi7781 — from the former India captain, who led India to the 2011 World Cup title.

Captain. Legend. Inspiration.????

As former #TeamIndia captain @msdhoni retires from international cricket, we wish him the very best and thank him for the wonderful memories. ????????????#ThankYouMSDhoni ???? pic.twitter.com/ks70z4FYNL — BCCI (@BCCI) August 16, 2020

Let's take a look at the greatest moments in Dhoni's career.

MS Dhoni : Records

International Records

Test cricket

• Led India to #1. Test cricket rankings for the first time, in 2009.
• Most successful Indian Test captain with 27 Test wins.
• Most overseas Test defeats by an Indian captain - 15.
• First Indian wicket-keeper to complete 4,000 Test runs.
• Third highest score by an Indian captain - 224 against Australia in Chennai.
• Fastest century scored by an Indian wicket-keeper, and fourth overall - 148 v Pak
• 50 sixes by an Indian captain.
• Most dismissals list by Indian wicket-keepers - 294
• Most stumping by any wicket-keeper in Test career – 38
• Most dismissals in an innings by an Indian Wicket Keeper - 6 tied with Syed Kirmani

ODI cricket

• Third captain (and the first non-Australian) overall to win 100 games.
• Fourth Indian to reach 10,000 ODI runs.
• The first player to pass 10,000 runs in ODI cricket with having a career average of over 50.
• Dhoni has the fifth-highest batting average (51.09) with more than 5,000 runs
• Most career runs in ODI history when batting at number 6 position - 4031
• The only player to score more than one hundred in ODI cricket when batting at number 7 position or lower - 2
• Most not outs in ODIs - 82
• First Indian and fifth overall to hit 200 sixes in ODIs.
• Highest score by a wicket-keeper in ODIs - 183* vs SL
• India's highest eighth-wicket partnership in ODIs - 100 runs not out, Dhoni and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
• Most unbeaten innings and highest average in successful ODI run-chases.
• Played the most matches in ODI history as a captain who has also served as a wicket-keeper - 200
• Most dismissals in an innings by an Indian Wicket Keeper - 6
• Most dismissals in a career by an Indian Wicket Keeper career - 432
• Most stumpings by any wicket-keeper in an ODI career - 120
• First Indian wicket-keeper to take 300 ODI catches and fourth wicket-keeper in the world to achieve the feat.

T20I Cricket

• Most wins in T20Is as captain - 41
• Most matches as captain in T20Is - 72
• Most matches in T20I history as both captain and wicket-keeper - 72
• Most consecutive T20I innings without a duck - 84
• Dhoni holds the record for playing the most T20I innings - 76 and scored the most runs - 1,153 before scoring a fifty.
• Most dismissals as wicket-keeper in T20Is - 87
• Most catches as wicket-keeper in T20Is - 54
• Most stumping as wicket-keeper in T20Is - 33
• Most catches as wicket-keeper in T20I innings – 5

International records (combined ODI, Test and T20I)

• Most international matches as captain - 332
• Dhoni is the first, and so far only, wicket-keeper to effect 150 stumping dismissals across the three forms of the game. His current total of stumping in internationals stands at 161.

MS Dhoni : Awards and Accolades

National honours

• 2018: Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award.
• 2009: Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award.
• 2007−08: Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India's highest honor given for achievement in sports.

Sporting honours

• ICC ODI Player of the Year: 2008, 2009
• ICC World ODI XI: 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 (captain in 2009, 2011-2014)
• ICC World Test XI: 2009, 2010, 2013
• Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year: 2011

Other honours and awards

• MTV Youth Icon of the Year: 2006
• LG People's Choice Award: 2013
• Honorary doctorate degree by De Montfort University in August 2011

MS Dhoni: Kashmir stint with Indian Army

1. On National Duty- Served the Indian army in Kashmir and by undertaking the duties of patrolling, guard and post duty for about 15 days, as said by the Indian Army in a statement.

2. Highest Honour- Dhoni was accorded the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 2011. He is also a qualified paratrooper after having completed five parachute training jumps.

3. Lt Col Dhoni's unit was deployed in the militancy-infested south Kashmir region as part of Victor Force.

"You will always be my captain," said India skipper Virat Kohli to MS Dhoni on Sunday, expressing gratitude for the "friendship and belief" that he got from the talismanic senior. In a nearly minute-long video posted on the BCCI's official Twitter handle, Kohli said Dhoni's retirement is that rare moment in his life when he doesn't have enough words to express his thoughts.

"I've always said this and I will say it again, you will always be my Captain," #TeamIndia Skipper @imVkohli pays his tribute to @msdhoni who announced his retirement from international cricket at 1929 hours yesterday.#ThankYouMSD pic.twitter.com/U6uWlow4lB — BCCI (@BCCI) August 16, 2020

"Words fall short a lot of times in life and I think this is one of those moments. All I can say is that you will always be that guy who sat in the last seat of the bus," Kohli said.

A young team led by MS Dhoni was selected to go for the T20 World Cup in South Africa.

India won the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup on 24th September, 2007 and the rest as they say is history.#ThankYouMSDhoni pic.twitter.com/INkSOlAJOP — BCCI (@BCCI) August 16, 2020

“He literally walks the talk. He is a dream for every small town boy who aspires to play for the country and achieve it all.”#TeamIndia WODI side skipper @M_Raj03 on why she admires @msdhoni. #ThankYouDhoni pic.twitter.com/V3q67wFpx4 — BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) August 17, 2020

BCCI Pays tribute to MS Dhoni

Source: BCCI