India’s best ODI XI under MS Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is arguably the most successful Indian captain in all three formats of the game. He became the captain in 2007 - right after India's calamitous 2007 World Cup and has led India to various titles across formats. He is the only captain to win all the ICC tournaments (World Twenty20, ODI World Cup, and Champions Trophy).

Dhoni has led India in 331 matches (60 Tests, 199 One Day Internationals, and 72 Twenty20). Of all the Indian captains, Dhoni has won the most number of matches in all three formats. He has also scored more than 16000 international runs in his career.

India was one of the best ODI sides under his captaincy and played some fearless cricket. Some of the greatest Indian cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Shikhar Dhawan, Ashish Nehra, Mohammed Shami, Rahul Dravid, and many more have played under the captaincy of MS Dhoni.

Dhoni was the captain of Indian ODI team between 2007 and 2016, and hence the players statistics during that period alone are considered for the article.

On that note, let’s take a look at the best ODI XI under MS Dhoni.

Openers

Rohit Sharma has been phenomenal under Dhoni's captaincy

Rohit Sharma is one of the most successful ODI opening batsmen in the world right now. Rohit Sharma made his ODI debut under the captaincy of Rahul Dravid in 2007 and played almost 150 games under the captaincy of MS Dhoni. The 31-year-old has played some scintillating knocks and became the only player to score three double hundreds in ODI cricket. Rohit Sharma has been key to India’s ODI success in recent years.

Rohit's record under MS Dhoni:

Matches - 151

Runs - 5123

Hundreds - 10

Gautam Gambhir pips Virender Sehwag and Shikhar Dhawan to open alongside Rohit Sharma in Dhoni’s best ODI XI. Gambhir has been one of India’s batting mainstay for nearly 10 years. He has scored more than 10000 international runs and played a stellar role in India’s 2011 World Cup win. Gambhir is one of the very few Indian cricketers who were successful across formats. Gambhir last played international cricket in 2016.

Gambhir's record under MS Dhoni:

Matches - 118

Runs - 4353

Hundreds - 9

Middle-Order

Kohli, Dhoni, and Raina formed a strong middle-order

Virat Kohli is second only to Sachin Tendulkar in terms of success in ODI cricket as a batsman. Kohli succeeded Dhoni as the captain of the Indian cricket team. Kohli made his international debut under the captaincy of Dhoni and became one of the best cricketers in the World. The 29-year-old has played 208 ODI games so far and scored 9588 runs. He has scored a massive 35 hundreds in ODI cricket so far.

Kohli's record under MS Dhoni:

Matches - 176

Runs - 7570

Hundreds - 26

Yuvraj Singh is one of best limited-overs cricketers to have ever played for India. He has played more than 300 One Day Internationals for India and scored 8701 runs. He was one of the best finishers in the world and played a huge part in India’s 2011 World Cup success. Yuvraj Singh held the Indian middle-order for almost a decade.

Yuvraj's record under MS Dhoni:

Matches - 121

Runs - 3592

Hundreds - 7

Suresh Raina has played more than 200 One Day Internationals for India in his career so far. Suresh Raina made his ODI debut in 2005 and played an important role for Dhoni in the lower middle-order. He has played some winning knocks and stunning cameos throughout his ODI tenure. The 31-year-old has scored 5568 runs in ODIs at a superb strike rate of 93.76.

Raina's record under MS Dhoni:

Matches - 187

Runs - 4956

Hundreds - 5

Wicket Keeper and All-rounder

Dhoni and Jadeja combined well for India

Dhoni is one of the most successful captains in the world across formats. He has led India to World Cup success in 2011 and also played a stunning knock in the finals against Sri Lanka. Dhoni is arguably the best finisher in ODI history. Dhoni has won 110 matches out of 199 ODI games he captained. The 37-year-old has played 318 One Day Internationals and scored 9987 runs at an average of 51.37.

Ravindra Jadeja is one of Dhoni’s most trusted players. Jadeja has played 136 One Day Internationals for India and picked up 155 wickets. He has also scored 1914 runs and played some vital cameos down the order. He has been a superb fielder throughout his playing career and has taken some stunning catches. Under Dhoni's captaincy, Jadeja has excelled with both bat and ball.

Jadeja's record under MS Dhoni:

Matches - 126

Runs - 1849

Wickets - 147

Bowlers

Ashwin has performed well under Dhoni

Ravichandran Ashwin is one of the best spinners in Indian cricket. The Chennai born cricketer excelled for MS Dhoni with his off-spin bowling. Ashwin has played 111 One Day Internationals and picked up 150 wickets. He has also made some useful contributions with the bat. Ashwin played the 2015 World Cup and has also played under the captaincy of Dhoni in the Indian Premier League.

Ashwin's record under MS Dhoni:

Matches - 102

Runs - 657

Wickets - 142

Ishant Sharma was called to the Indian squad at the age of 18. The right arm fast-medium bowler from Delhi is one of India’s best bowlers in Test cricket but played only 80 ODI games in his career. Ishant Sharma has picked up 115 wickets but struggled for consistency in the One Day Internationals. Sharma has also played 81 Tests.

Ishant's record under MS Dhoni:

Matches - 80

Wickets - 115

4w - 6

Bowlers

Umesh Yadav has improved a lot under Dhoni

Umesh Yadav is one of the fastest bowlers in India right now. The 30-year-old seamer was first called into India's squad for the World Twenty20 in 2010. Umesh Yadav has played 71 ODI games and picked up 102 wickets. He struggled for consistency early in his career but improved as his career progressed. After a brief exile in ODI cricket, Umesh Yadav is back in the team for the series against England.

Umesh's record under MS Dhoni:

Matches - 62

Wickets - 87

4w - 3

Zaheer Khan is one of the best seamers India has ever produced. Zaheer Khan was exceptional for India in Tests and One Day Internationals. The left-arm seamer has played 200 ODIs for India and picked up 282 wickets. Zaheer was phenomenal for India in the 2011 World Cup and finished the tournament as the highest wicket-taker with 21 wickets. He has led the Indian pace attack for more than a decade and was instrumental in their success.

Zaheer's record under MS Dhoni:

Matches - 67

Wickets - 94

4w - 1