Will MS Dhoni's IPL records ever be broken? Definitely not!
What's the story
The 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) will be underway on March 28. Ahead of the league's 19th edition, the age-old question returns: will it be the last dance of MS Dhoni? His "I can try" remark at the Chennai Super Kings' pre-season event has once again sparked a wave of excitement among fans. His answers are as legendary as his IPL records.
Journey
Association with CSK
In February 2008, CSK secured Dhoni after an intense bidding war with all other franchises. The rest, as they say, is history! The legendary wicketkeeper-batter from the east became South India's demigod. Dhoni, fondly called the 'Thala,' went on to become the most successful captain in the IPL. For starters, only a few players have led in as many matches as Dhoni has won while leading.
Numbers
Most matches, wins as captain
Between 2008 and 2025, Dhoni led in 235 IPL matches, the most for a captain. Rohit Sharma, who left Mumbai Indians' captaincy in 2023, is a distant second with 158 caps. The former is the only player to win 100-plus matches as captain in the IPL. He tops the pile with 136 wins. The other captains to win 50-plus matches are Rohit (87), Gautam Gambhir (71), and Virat Kohli (66).
Information
100 wins leading a franchise
Dhoni is the only captain to win 100-plus IPL matches for a single franchise - CSK (131). Rohit and Kohli won 87 and 66 matches while leading MI and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, respectively.
Finals
Five titles, 10 finals
"But still, I haven't left [it] behind," said a nonchalant Dhoni when asked about his insurmountable IPL legacy following CSK's IPL 2021 win. By his swansong, Dhoni would have certainly carved out an unassailable record of not only leading CSK to five IPL titles, but 10 finals. Interestingly, the league never had consecutive IPL finals since its inception until the 2025 season without Dhoni.
Wicketkeeping
Over 200 wicket-keeping dismissals
Adding to Dhoni's illustrious records is his profound glovework behind the stumps. In 2025, he became the first player to complete 200 IPL dismissals as a wicket-keeper. This tally includes 154 catches and 47 stumpings. Only three other wicket-keepers have recorded 100-plus dismissals, and two of them have retired - Dinesh Karthik (174), Wriddhiman Saha (113), and Rishabh Pant (101). And we are not even considering the keeper-captain combo!
Finisher
Finishing off in style
Long before finishing was a phenomenon, Dhoni outdid it. A prime Dhoni and his knockout punches in the death overs are still a bowler's nightmare. The former CSK skipper has hit 72 sixes in the 20th over, more than the combined maximums of the next two batters here - Kieron Pollard (33) and Ravindra Jadeja (32). For someone carrying such pressure, the mantra remained simple - process over results.