7. M.S. Dhoni, captain and wicket-keeper (Chennai Super Kings)
‘Age is just a number’, and who exemplifies this adage better than ‘Captain Cool’ a.k.a M.S. Dhoni? Returning to the familiar and congenial milieu of the CSK franchise after a two-year hiatus, the former Indian captain batted the way that he had not batted for a long time, scoring 455 runs from 15 innings @ 75.83 and a strike-rate of 150.66, with the typical M.S.D swagger which characterized his batting back during his long-haired days.
Using the crease to good effect and finding a good bat swing with a lighter bat this time around, the CSK skipper smacked 30 sixes—the joint sixth highest along with AB de Villiers. He was brilliant behind the stumps too, effecting 14 dismissals (11 catches and 3 stumpings).
The fact that CSK functioned like a well-oiled machine throughout the tournament owed a lot to Dhoni’s cerebral faculties, and there certainly cannot be any better tidings for Indian cricket than his return to peak form ahead of next year’s World Cup in England.
Stats: Matches 16, Runs 455, Average 75.83, S/R 150.66, HS 79*, three 50s.
Most memorable performance: A well-calculated 70* off 34 balls (1 four and 7 sixes) against Virat Kohli’s RCB at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore to ensure a win for CSK in a dramatic finish.
