As Dhoni bids adieu to international cricket, a look at his career

MS Dhoni's retirement from international cricket is as much a loss for the game as it is a loss for fans. He will be missed in international tournaments where he sparkled the most as a captain. As he put an end to his international career on Independence Day, it was a moment for fans, colleagues and the cricketing fraternity to reflect on his achievements both on and off-field.
Here are some of the legendary former captain's biggest achievements

India's longest-serving Test Captain in all 3 formats

He played 60 Test matches as India's Test captain. He took up the Test captaincy in 2008 leading the team to win in New Zealand and West Indies. The team also won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2008, 2010 and 2013 under his leadership. In 2009, he led the Indian team to number one position for the first time in the ICC Test rankings. In February 2013, he powered his way to his first double hundreds in Tests. In March 2013,  under Dhoni's captaincy, India outshone Australia 4-0 at home for the first time in a Test series. He has captained India in 332 international matches.

Darling of Indian Premier League

Even though he has quit international cricket, Dhoni is all geared up to play for the IPL 2020. Chennai Super Kings is not concerned. In fact, the IPL franchise has said he could play for them as long as he wants. He helped the team succeed under his leadership on several occasions and IPL can't have enough of him.

Leadership style

He has long been known as Captain Cool and sports a calm demeanour. His leadership style has been extolled by many, some even saying businesses and managers could learn a few lessons from him. He has been adept at managing egos in the team. Staying calm under pressure is his biggest strength which has served as an inspiration for his team. Like a true leader he has relied on his gut instinct often, turning the game in India's favour when most needed.

Awards and accolades

In August 2008, he won the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award. In December of the same year Dhoni won the ICC ODI Player of the Year honour. In April 2009 he was  honoured with the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honour.In Dec 2009, the talented player retained his ICC ODI Player of the year award, becoming the first player to win it twice. In November 2011,the Indian Territorial Army conferred the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel on Dhoni. He became the first captain to win all three ICC trophies. In April 2018,  Dhoni received the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian honour.

Earnings and Endorsements

In 2010 he was the world's highest paid cricketer. 2019 was a stellar year for Dhoni in terms of brand endorsements. Between January and November, he endorsed more brands than even Virat Kohli. He was endorsing approximately 44 brands during that time at a relatively low fee. Experts suggest this was done to maintain visibility. He still endorses around 25 brands and is a dependable face due to an image of sincerity and modesty he projects.His endorsement fee is anywhere between Rs 1 crore to Rs 2 crore a day. His estimated net worth in 2020 is $111 mn.

The former India captain is currently gearing up to launch his own brand of environment-friendly fertilisers. He has refused to do any commercial brand endorsements during the pandemic and is devoting his time to this new venture Neo Global. The fertiliser is being tested at Dhoni's own farm.