MS Dhoni made history once again by being officially inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame on Monday, June 9. The honour was given during a special ceremony in London, just two days before the ICC World Test Championship final between South Africa and Australia at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground.
Joining him in this elite club were legendary Australian opener Matthew Hayden and South African greats Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith, all celebrated for their exceptional contributions to international cricket.
11th Indian in the ICC Hall of Fame
With this honour, Dhoni becomes the 11th Indian and the 9th male cricketer from the country to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He joins a distinguished list that includes Bishan Singh Bedi, Neetu David, Kapil Dev, Rahul Dravid, Diana Edulji, Sunil Gavaskar, Anil Kumble, Vinoo Mankad, Virender Sehwag, and Sachin Tendulkar.
“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,” Dhoni said in a statement shared by the governing body.
Adding to that he said, “To have your name remembered alongside such all-time greats is a wonderful feeling. It is something that I will cherish forever.”
Widely regarded as one of the finest captains in world cricket, Dhoni is the only skipper to have won all three senior men’s white-ball ICC trophies: the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy.
MS Dhoni’s career statistics
In a career spanning over 15 years, the iconic wicketkeeper-batter represented India in 90 Tests, 350 ODIs, and 98 T20Is. In Tests, he scored 4,876 runs, including six centuries, and claimed 256 catches along with 38 stumpings.
In ODIs, he amassed 10,773 runs at a remarkable average of 50.57, despite often batting lower down the order, and made 321 catches with 123 stumpings. In T20Is, Dhoni added 1,617 runs to his name and executed 57 catches and 34 stumpings.
What makes a player eligible for the ICC Hall of Fame?
To qualify for induction into the ICC Hall of Fame, a player must be retired from international cricket for at least five years. Dhoni played his final international match on July 10, 2019, in the World Cup semi-final against New Zealand. His last T20I appearance was in February 2019, and his final Test came in December 2014 against Australia.