Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Friday became the first player in world cricket to captain a team in 300 T20 games across various competitions during his side’s IPL summit clash against Kolkata Kight Riders in Dubai.
The 40-year-old former India captain, playing his 10th IPL final (ninth for CSK as captain), has now led the CSK side in 214 games (including 23 matches of the now defunct Champions League T20). He has led CSK since the IPL’s inception. He has also captained Rising Pune Supergiants in 14 games during one IPL season apart from leading India in 72 matches, including multiple World Cup campaigns.
Second in the list is Darren Sammy, who has led in 208 games (for West Indies and various franchises).
Interestingly, both Dhoni and rival captain Eoin Morgan are playing their 347th T20 game.
MS Dhoni becomes the first player to captain in 300 T20 games 👊
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) October 15, 2021
Daren Sammy is second with 208. No one else has passed 200. pic.twitter.com/mIL8HAKoHP
Today 347th T20 match for both captains!
— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) October 15, 2021
MS Dhoni (#CSK 214*, India 98, RPS 30, Jharkhand 4, Indians 1)
Eoin Morgan (Middlesex 112, England 108, #KKR 57*, SRH 16, Sydney Thunder 13, RCB 6, PBKS 4, 7 other sides 31)#IPL2021Final #IPL2021 #IPL2O21 #IPL #KKRvCSK #CSKvKKR #KKRvsCSK
We #Yellove you 300* Thala 💛#CSKvKKR #WhistlePodu 🦁 pic.twitter.com/q7wgnxmKTT
— Chennai Super Kings - Mask P😷du Whistle P🥳du! (@ChennaiIPL) October 15, 2021
His crowning glory would certainly be leading India to the T20 World Cup title in South Africa back in 2007. Before that tournament, India had played only one T20I, in 2006 in South Africa, of which Dhoni was a part.
“It’s been a long time. We started T20 in around 2005-06 and most of the games have been franchise cricket and in the last five years there have been a lot of T20 games in international cricket as well,” Dhoni said at the toss of tonight’s game when asked about the milestone.
With PTI inputs
