👑 Chennai Super Kings
IPL Since 2008 • 18 Seasons
🏆 5x IPL Champion
🎯 226 Matches as Captain
MSD
MS Dhoni
Right-hand Bat • Wicket-keeper • Born 7 Jul 1981, Ranchi
Thala. The Captain Cool. The greatest captain in IPL history. Bought for $1.5 million in 2008, Dhoni transformed CSK into the most dominant franchise in IPL history — 10 finals, 5 titles, 12 playoff appearances. A finisher without parallel and a leader without equal.
5,439
Career Runs
All-time IPL Top 6
278
Matches
Most in IPL history
5
IPL Titles
Joint most ever
226
As Captain
IPL Record
Career at a Glance All IPL Seasons
38.30
Batting Average
Career (as finisher)
137.5
Strike Rate
Career
84*
High Score
vs RCB, 2019
220.5
Best Season SR
2024 — IPL Record
Runs by Season 2008 – 2025
🎯 Season-by-Season Run Tally
Bar width proportional to career-best season (461 runs, 2013). Trophy seasons highlighted in gold.
2008
Title runner-up
414
2009
332
2010
🏆 IPL CHAMPIONS
287
2011
🏆 IPL CHAMPIONS
392
2012
358
2013
Best runs season
461
2014
371
2015
372
2016 (RPS)
(RPS – CSK banned)
284
2017 (RPS)
(RPS – CSK banned)
290
2018
🏆 IPL CHAMPIONS
455
2019
84* vs RCB – career best
416
2020
200
2021
🏆 IPL CHAMPIONS
114
2022
232
2023
🏆 IPL CHAMPIONS
104
2024
SR 220.54 – IPL record
161
2025
96
Regular season
Best run season (2013)
Title win year
Performance vs Each Team Career Totals
🏈 Career Runs vs Each Opponent
Total runs scored against each franchise across all IPL seasons.
RCB
891
Most vs any team
MI
762
KKR
644
RR
598
PBKS
580
SRH
512
DC
488
GT
156
LSG
138
📈 Batting Average vs Each Opponent
Runs per dismissal. Dhoni's not-out innings heavily inflate these figures.
LSG
46.0
Best average
RCB
44.5
RR
42.7
KKR
40.3
GT
39.0
SRH
38.5
MI
38.1
PBKS
36.3
DC
35.9
⚡ Strike Rate vs Each Opponent
Runs per 100 balls faced. Dhoni's ability to hit at will in the death overs is reflected here.
GT
148.6
Best SR
LSG
141.2
RCB
140.2
SRH
138.2
RR
136.4
PBKS
133.9
MI
132.5
KKR
131.8
DC
130.6
🎯 Fifty-Plus Scores vs Each Opponent
Innings of 50 or more runs. Note: Dhoni's role as a finisher means many match-winning knocks are sub-50.
RCB
9
MI
8
KKR
7
RR
6
PBKS
6
SRH
5
DC
5
GT
2
LSG
2
IPL Records & Milestones
5
IPL Titles as Captain
2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023 — all with CSK
10
IPL Finals as Captain
Most by any captain in IPL history
278
Most IPL Matches Played
All-time record — most by any IPL player
226
Most Matches as Captain
Unprecedented IPL captaincy longevity
220.5
Highest SR (100+ runs)
IPL 2024 — highest ever for any batter with 100+ runs
180+
Wicketkeeper Dismissals
Most by a wicketkeeper in IPL history
Career Journey Key Seasons
2008
$1.5 Million Man — IPL's Most Expensive Signing
CSK buy Dhoni at $1.5m in the inaugural auction — the most expensive signing in IPL history. He delivers immediately with 414 runs, leading CSK to the final in their very first season.
2010
🏆 First IPL Title — The Dynasty Begins
CSK beat MI by 22 runs at DY Patil. 287 runs that season. The first of what becomes a dynasty. Dhoni becomes the first captain to win back-to-back IPL titles in 2011.
2013
Peak Run Season — 461 Runs
His best season with the bat: 461 runs at avg 41.9 and SR 162.9. Remarkable for a finisher batting at No.6-7 with limited balls to face.
2016
Exile — CSK Suspended, Dhoni Joins RPS
CSK banned for two years. Dhoni leads Rising Pune Supergiants for 2016 & 2017, scoring 284 and 290 runs. The franchise without their Thala struggles. The fans wait.
2018
🏆 The Greatest Comeback — Back with CSK
CSK reinstated. Dhoni delivers a fairy-tale return: 455 runs, avg 75.83, SR 150.7. CSK win the title. The Thala is home. The yellow army roars.
2019
84* vs RCB — Career Best Score
416 runs, avg 83.2. Scores career-best 84* off 48 balls vs RCB at Chinnaswamy — 5 fours, 7 sixes. The helicopter in full flight. His last international game follows in World Cup.
2023
🏆 Fifth Title at Age 42 — Oldest Winning Captain
CSK beat GT in the final. Dhoni becomes the oldest captain to win an IPL title at 42. Even with just 104 runs in the tournament, his presence and leadership are priceless.
2024
SR 220.54 — Highest in IPL History (100+ runs)
At age 42, Dhoni smashes 161 runs off 73 balls including 14 fours and 13 sixes across the tournament — a strike rate of 220.54. The highest-ever for any batter with 100+ runs in an IPL season. Pure muscle memory.
Did You Know?
Dhoni is the only captain in IPL history to win 5 titles — all with CSK. He led them to 10 IPL Finals in 14 seasons, a consistency no other franchise or captain has come close to matching.
He captained CSK in 226 IPL matches — the most by any captain in the tournament's history. His win percentage as captain stands at an extraordinary 58.8%.
In IPL 2024, aged 42, Dhoni scored 161 runs at a strike rate of 220.54 — the highest-ever in IPL history for any batter who scored 100+ runs in a season. The man simply does not age as a finisher.
Dhoni has never scored a century in the IPL despite 5,439 runs and 24 fifties. He typically comes in at No.6 or No.7 with only a handful of overs remaining — yet still averages 38.30 and has won hundreds of games.
CSK were suspended for two years (2016–17) due to the betting scandal. In their absence, Dhoni played for Rising Pune Supergiants. The moment CSK returned in 2018, Dhoni led them straight to the title — a fairy-tale comeback.
The BCCI retired the jersey number 7 in international cricket in 2023 as a permanent tribute to Dhoni. He was bought by CSK for $1.5 million in 2008 — the highest price at that inaugural auction. For IPL 2025, as an uncapped player, he cost just Rs 4 crore.