IPL 2021: MS Dhoni set to become first player to lead in 300 T20 matches

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is set to become the first man to captain in 300 T20s. Dhoni so far has led in 299 matches and the IPL final against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will be his 300th game as a captain. In his career, Dhoni has led India, and IPL franchises CSK and Rising Pune Supergiants.

The veteran is one of the most successful skippers of all time. India’s only win in the T20 International Cup came under Dhoni in 2007. He also led the national team to several wins all across the globe. In IPL, he has the record of most numbers of wins. He has won 130 of the 213 matches he has captained a side, way more than second best Rohit Sharma, who has 75 wins. He also led CSK to three IPL titles (2010,2011 and 2018), second only to Mumbai Indians who have won five titles. Also, the upcoming final will be Dhoni’s 10th appearance in the IPL final.

However, Dhoni does not have much cricket left in him and it’s clearly visible when he’s in the middle with the bat. The BCCI has not yet revealed the retention policy for the IPL 2022 and given Dhoni’s form, it’s uncertain if CSK will retain Dhoni as a player. Dhoni himself is not sure about his future as a player.

“You’ll see me in yellow next season but whether I’ll be playing for CSK you never know. There are a lot of uncertainties coming up, two new teams are coming, we don’t know what the retention rules are and so on,” Dhoni has said.

The veteran announced his retirement from international cricket in 2019.