OTD 2004: MS Dhoni's ODI debut, and the birth of 15 years of cricketing excellence

MS Dhoni played his first international match against Bangladesh on December 23, 2004, an ODI encounter at the MA Aziz Stadium, Chittagong. 19 years later, he is considered one of the finest captains to have graced the beautiful game called cricket.

Dhoni's first international innings was anything but auspicious. On the first delivery he faced, the wicketkeeper-batter got involved in an awful mix-up with non-striker Mohammad Kaif and was run out by the combination of Tapash Baisya and Khaled Mashud. Not many would have predicted back then that the 23-year-old would go on to become one of the most celebrated captains in world cricket.

Iconic captain Sourav Ganguly noticed a spark in the Ranchi-born and backed him to the hilt. Dhoni showcased his awe-inspiring hitting ability for the first time during his maiden ODI century against Pakistan in Visakhapatnam on April 5, 2005, after registering a string of low scores. "Mahi", as he is fondly called, didn't look back from that point onwards and went on playing several match-winning knocks.

India's senior players opted out of the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007. Dhoni was made the captain ahead of other contenders like Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, and Harbhajan Singh. The flamboyant batter repaid the faith shown in him by the selectors as he led the 'Men in Blue' to the title. After Rahul Dravid relinquished captaincy, Dhoni was appointed as the white-ball captain. He helped India win the CB series in 2008 in Australia, showing the world a glimpse of his fantastic captaincy skills.

In 2008, he took over as India captain in all three formats. Under Dhoni's leadership, India became the No. 1 Test side in 2009. He also led India to wins in the 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy to establish his legacy. On August 15, 2020, Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket.

Dhoni, however, is still an integral part of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He led the team to a record-equaling fifth IPL title earlier this year and is all set to feature in the 2024 edition of the cash-rich tournament. IPL 2024 could be Dhoni's last assignment as a professional cricketer. His contribution to the sport will go down in cricketing folklore and inspire cricketers for generations to come.