MS Dhoni became ninth Indian male cricketer and eleventh Indian overall to get inducted to the International Cricket Council (ICC) Hall of Fame. The former India captain is nothing short of a legend of the game with a total of 17,266 runs in 538 international matches. He is also the most successful skipper in India's history having lead the team to three ICC trophies during his tenure.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri was all praise for the 43-year-old and even compared the speed of his hands to that of a pickpocket.
"He had hands faster than that of a pickpocket. If you're ever in India, going for a big game, especially in Ahmedabad, you don't want MS behind you; watch that back. The wallet will disappear," Shastri said in the ICC Hall of Fame event held in London.
"He gets out for zero is the same, he wins the World Cup is the same, he gets a hundred the same, two hundred the same. There is absolutely, you know, no difference," he added.
Dhoni gave his reaction after being honoured by the ICC
After getting added to the prestigious list, Dhoni stated that this is an honour that he will chrish for the rest of his life. He also said that it is wonderful that his name will be remembered alongside many other legends of the game.
"It is an honour to be named in the ICC Hall of Fame, which recognises the contributions of cricketers across generations and from all over the world. To have your name remembered alongside such all-time greats is a wonderful feeling. It is something that I will cherish forever," Dhoni said as quoted by ICC.
The 43-year-old recently featured for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2025 in what was his 18th season with the franchise. However, it was a campaign to forget for the five-time champions as they finished at the bottom of the standings, accumulating just eight points from 14 matches. This poor form in the league stage saw them fail to make it to the playoffs and get knocked out of the tournament.
Retirement rumours kept floating around Dhoni throughout the campaign and many expected him to finally hang up his boots after CSK's abysmal season. However, the wicketkeeper-batter didn't provide a clear answer to the speculations and it remains to be seen whether he will participate in IPL 2026 or not.