Dhoni - Best ODI Batsman Of All Time ?

[Daemon]

Just checked, he needed 15 off the last over, hit 16 in 4. ( . 6 4 6 )

 

[honestbharani]

With all due respect to the posters participating in the argument, it is absolutely mind numbingly silly to break down Dhoni's ODI greatness to his latest amazing feat. It is not that he did it this time, it is that he is doing it almost everytime. He is shockingly consistent at achieving improbable feats. In that respect, he is already ahead of Sachin and Bevan for me and just below Sir Viv, who did achieve some amazing stuff, well, amazing for what the game was during his day...

 

[Ikki]

Not to degrade the achievement...but 15 off an over is not exactly that huge. For a player of Dhoni's class it is expected.

 

[Manee]

Not to degrade the achievement...but 15 off an over is not exactly that huge. For a player of Dhoni's class it is expected.

The key point was the sheer lack of doubt that some people had that he would do it.

 

[Ikki]

The key point was the sheer lack of doubt that some people had that he would do it.

I wasn't aware of this, why? I think even a lesser player is certainly capable of it.

 

[Manee]

I wasn't aware of this, why? I think even a lesser player is certainly capable of it.

Capable, yes. But I think a lot of people thought, "Dhoni will do this" rather than "Dhoni can do this".

 

[Ikki]

Capable, yes. But I think a lot of people thought, "Dhoni will do this" rather than "Dhoni can do this".

Sorry, I misunderstood your initial point. Yes, well, he's a great player and he's accomplished much tougher finishes than this. So that's why I don't really understand why this one is being given so much attention?

 

[Manee]

Sorry, I misunderstood your initial point. Yes, well, he's a great player and he's accomplished much tougher finishes than this. So that's why I don't really understand why this one is being given so much attention?

Yeh, who knows.

 

[psx12ns]

Dhoni you are the man...

 

[karan316]

Dhoni gets the limelight because a lot of times he is there at the finishing stages(since he bats low down the order), when he does well, he gets the whole credit for the win. Its true that he is one of the best finishers of the games and is capable of pulling off some high pressure matches, but what about guys like Gilly and Sehwag who set the tone at the start of the innings?? sometimes they just hammer the opposition bowlers and make it extremely easy for the others. Purely as batsmen, I would rate people like Sehwag and Gilly higher than Dhoni.

 

[Cruxdude]

Yeh, who knows.

It is mainly because of the nonchalance with which he went about the whole thing. India was 9 down and Ishant was on strike in the 49th over trying to go for nonexistent singles to get off strike. Dhoni cools him down and Ishant just blocks the over out even letting the last ball go and then Dhoni completes it in 4 balls. The thing that got this so much attention was everybody knew somehow that he was going to do it even though he was batting with number 11 and the pitch was sluggish.

 

[morgieb]

He's up there and he's probably the best ever in his role.

 

[harsh.ag]

Officially time to have both Dhoni and Gilly in the team at the same time if you can

 

[watson]

There is little doubt that Michael Bevan and MS Dhoni are the best middle-order batsman and 'finishers' of all time.

This is a slight variation to the previous table. I have looked at batting efforts from No.5 onwards. A lot more batting efforts now find a place. Bevan improves slightly while Dhoni has a significant move upwards. Inzamam is the other batsman who has played many important innings at No.5 onwards. His Index value is a reasonable 23.3. Note how badly Jayasuriya and Ponting performed on the few occasions when they were moved out of their comfort zones of opening and No.3 respectively.

Bevan remains at 40.6% in the % team runs measure. Dhoni's figure improves to 38.0%. The new serious entrant to this table, Inzamam scored 34.6% of his team runs.

Blogs: The ODI batting giants: part 1 | Cricket Blogs | ESPN Cricinfo

However, saying that they are great 'finishers' is a long way from saying that Bevan or Dhoni are the greatest ODI batsman of all time because it forgets the fact that teams also bat first as well as chase. Intuition tells me that Viv Richards is the best ODI batsman of all time if a number of different ODI scenarios are taken into consideration - not just the last 10 overs or so of the second innings. And the stat's seem to agree;

Any doubts in deciding on the best ODI batsman have been clearly dispelled. The leading position of Viv Richards in many of these tables indicates that he is, unarguably, the best ODI batsmen of all time. This is supported by the fact that there is considerable gap between Richards and the next batsman in many measures. All this was done when the rest of the world scored at around 70 and the target for most teams was 250. He also did not have any powerplays assisting him. Not just the "Master Blaster" but the "Master".

Blogs: The ODI batting giants: part 2 | Cricket Blogs | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[kyear2]

Well articulated and referenced as usual Watson. Dhoni is amazing though and thoroughly deserves the plaudits that he receives.

 

[marc71178]

Officially time to have both Dhoni and Gilly in the team at the same time if you can

Why? There's a number of better options than Gilly opening so if he doesn't have the gloves then shouldn't be picked.

 

[ankitj]

I stopped reading once the author started using RPI instead of averages for his analysis.

 

[kyear2]

Why? There's a number of better options than Gilly opening so if he doesn't have the gloves then shouldn't be picked.

But Gilly is still the better keeper, Gilly opens and Dhoni glove free in the middle order.

 

[harsh.ag]

Why? There's a number of better options than Gilly opening so if he doesn't have the gloves then shouldn't be picked.

Agree with Kyear2, but see your point. Hayden, Amla, Jayasuriya, Greenidge ahead of Gilly? I would like to have Lara there personally with Sachin.

 

[CricAddict]

Why? There's a number of better options than Gilly opening so if he doesn't have the gloves then shouldn't be picked.

Sachin is fixed in one spot. So whom do you have apart from Gilly as a perfect foil? Left-right, aggressor etc..along with giving a better keeper option...When I think about it, only Jayasuriya comes close..