We are India. The nation who literally eat, drink and sleep cricket. And you have had got some idea what it has to be genuinely when it comes to the gentleman’s game. We are the second best ICC ODI team currently, and whom did we lose an ODI series in the past too? BANGLADESH! This Mahendra Singh Dhoni, he made us lose the series to Bangladesh! We sure should hate him now on, and why not many say Twenty20 cricket is not his game anymore?
Let’s look at the reasons to support the cause why Indian should hate Mahendra Singh Dhoni:
* Dhoni holds the record of the highest score made by a wicketkeeper.
In 2012, Dhoni’s 224-run Test innings came against Australia in Chennai during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Dhoni haters: So what? He scored only 121 runs in the ODI series! Shikhar Dhawan scored more than him. Why didn’t he score more than him? Hate him so much!
* First Indian wicket-keeper batsman to notch-up double-hundred in Test cricket.
* In that innings, he hit ten sixes.
Dhoni haters: So what? How many did he hit in Bangladesh? That Dhoni!
* He has the record of leading the Indian team in most ODI matches.
Dhoni haters: We are not interested! Talk about Bangladesh, can we?
*Dhoni’s batting average is the highest among wicketkeepers in ODIs.
Dhoni haters: Who cares? We don’t! Hate Dhoni, whole-heartedly.
*Dhoni set the world-record of the highest sixth-wicket partnership of 218 runs with Mahela Jayawardene.
Dhoni haters: He must have scored lesser runs.
*He scored 139, Jayawardena scored 107.
Dhoni haters: Huh! So he can play only with foreign players.
*Dhoni is the only ODI captain to score a century while batting at number 7. (against Pakistan)
Dhoni haters: Why did he not score a century and made India win the series? Who cares what he did against Pakistan?
*He is the first non-Australian captain to win 100 ODIs, first Indian captain to do so.
Dhoni haters: He lost an ODI series against Bangladesh, first Indian captain to do so.
*He led the team to win ICC ODI world cup 2011 and the first ICC T20 World Cup.
* In 2015 ICC world they thrashed Bangladesh in the quarter-finals to reach the semis, before Australia rout New Zealand.
*Dhoni has most One-day international stumpings to his name. He has claimed 103 stumpings in 309 matches.
*During Sri Lanka series, Dhoni surpassed former Sri Lankan gloveman Kumar Sangakkara to hold the record of most number of stumpings in ODIs.
Even though Dhoni has been the slow starter, but he has won several games for his side until he relinquished from his captaincy post in January this year.
* One of the best finishers, Dhoni, has led India in 199- 50-over games to become the most successful captain for India after registering 110 wins.
* In his 300th ODI, Dhoni scored unbeaten 49 against Sri Lanka. During his eventful day, Dhoni powered India to 375 for five in 50 allotted overs.
* After playing 309 ODIs, Dhoni is averaging 51.71 which saw him amassing 9,826 runs. Dhoni is the only gloveman who has effected nine dismissals in a single game.
* Dhoni became sixth overall Indian player to represent Men in Blue in 300 or more ODIs.
* Dhoni has the most number of not outs (76*) to his name in ODI cricket.
* Dhoni is listed on top of the most number of not outs in overall international format. He has remained unbeaten in 126 matches across formats.
* So far, Dhoni claimed 590 catches in international format while donning the national jersey for India.
* In all three formats of the gentleman’s game, Dhoni collected 1,385 boundaries and 331 maximums.
* Since making his international appearance in December 2014 against Bangladesh, Dhoni faced 20,384 deliveries to register 15,983 runs across formats.
* Dhoni is just 174 runs away to complete his 10,000-run milestone in 50-over competition.
* Dhoni is the third Indian in the top-five list after former skipper Sourav Ganguly and batting mainstay Rahul Dravid, who have had scored most runs while playing their 300th ODI respectively.
Dhoni has been known to maintain the cool head to handle the pressure well in the tricky situation, who further plated the pivotal role for India and skipper Virat Kohli has always been taking an expert opinion from him.
Dhoni haters: JUST HATE DHONI BECAUSE HE IS DHONI!
Haters are gonna be haters, whatever the fact be. We agree he is the slow starter with the willow, but what he has achieved for India, already left a significant impact on the cricket fanatics, who have had religiously followed the gentleman’s game.
* Note: Statistics stand updated on November 8, 2017.