MS Dhoni, the former Indian cricket team captain, and current Chennai Super Kings skipper made history by becoming the seventh player to score 5000 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, his former national teammate Virender Sehwag believes milestones and records mean little to the legendary cricketer.
Sehwag commented that if one were to ask Dhoni about his latest achievement, he would likely question the significance of the 5000-run milestone. According to Sehwag, Dhoni focuses on clinching the IPL trophy, something he has accomplished on numerous occasions. Sehwag also emphasized that Dhoni, like himself, does not actively chase milestones but views them as something that will be remembered later in life.
Dhoni’s achievement came during a match against the Lucknow Super Giants on April 3, where he came in to bat at number eight and immediately smashed two sixes off Mark Wood. Despite being dismissed on the subsequent delivery, Dhoni’s powerful hits entertained the crowd at the Chepauk stadium.
The 41-year-old is regarded as one of the greatest captains in Indian cricket history, leading the team to victory in the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, the 2010 and 2016 Asia Cups, and the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. In the IPL, Dhoni has led the Chennai Super Kings to four championship titles and multiple other playoff appearances.
While milestones and records may be important to some, for Dhoni, the ultimate goal is victory.
According to Sehwag, Dhoni’s ability to score 5000 runs batting in the middle or lower-middle order is remarkable. Sehwag praised Dhoni and labelled him as a big player. Sehwag also doubted that any other player could achieve this feat in the future, given the difficulty of scoring so many runs while batting in that position.
Chennai’s next fixture is against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium on April 8th.