Bowlers to dismiss MS Dhoni most number of times in ODIs

One of the greatest players the game has ever seen is MS Dhoni. The former Indian captain stands apart from the competition thanks to his unmatched firepower and tactical brilliance. Last year, Dhoni retired from playing international cricket, but he still participates in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He led India to the summit of the ODI World Cup in 2011 and has forever been recognised as one of India’s white-ball greats. Here are the three bowlers to have dismissed him the most number of times in ODIs. 

1. Thisara Perera (6)

Sri Lankan right-arm quick Thisara Perera holds the distinction of dismissing MS Dhoni the most number of times in ODIs. There have been 12 encounters between the duo with Perera dismissing Dhoni in six of them. However, Dhoni has a decent record against the bowler slamming 17 boundaries and five maximums. In total, he has scored 144 runs against Perera at the strike rate of a touch over 101.   

2. Brett Lee (5)

In the second position is the Australian legendary fast bowler Brett Lee. In a total of 14 encounters between the duo, Brett Lee has been able to dismiss Dhoni on five occasions. However, Dhoni’s record against Lee is not all too impressive. He has not been his usual self against the breathtaking pace of Lee. He has only scored 71 runs, including five boundaries and three maximums at the strike rate of a touch over 78.

3. James Anderson, Tim Bresnan, Dilhara Fernando and Shoaib Malik (4)

It’s a four-way tie for third place. English pacers James Anderson and Tim Bresnan alongside Sri Lanka’s Dilhara Fernando and Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik share the distinction of dismissing MS Dhoni four times in ODIs, the third-highest by any bowler. Interestingly, Shoaib Malik is the only spinner on this list, making him the spinner to dismiss Dhoni most number of times in ODIs. James Anderson has faced Dhoni 19 times in ODIs, while the figure is 13 for Bresnan and 12 for Fernando. Surprisingly, Malik has faced Dhoni just 10 times and dismissed him four times in them.