Major milestone beckons MS Dhoni in England; cricketer set to emulate Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid

 

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is set to achieve a major milestone in his illustrious career when India face England next month in Twenty20 Internationals.

India have already reached the United Kingdom to play Ireland in two T20Is (June 27, 29) and England in three T20Is, three One Day Internationals and five Tests.

Dhoni, who is still going strong in T20Is and ODIs, will join an elite list of cricketers headed by former captain and batting legend Sachin Tendulkar.

The 36-year-old Dhoni, who made his international cricket debut in December 2004 against Bangladesh, will become only the third Indian player to feature in 500 or more international matches.

Currently, Dhoni has 497 caps and should complete the landmark on July 3 in Manchester when India and England play the first of the three T20Is.

Tendulkar holds the world record

Tendulkar holds the world record for most international appearances with 664, followed by Sri Lankan Mahela Jayawardene (652). At the third spot is Jayawardene's compatriot Kumar Sangakkara (594).

In the elite 500-club, two Indians - Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid (509) feature. Now, Dhoni is set to join them.

Overall, Dhoni is at 10th place behind former Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq (499). Dhoni is the only active cricketer in the top-10.

So far, Dhoni has played in 90 Tests, 318 ODIs, and 89 T20Is. He is one of the best captains in the limited-overs format. He took India to World Cup glory in 2011.

Among other records, Dhoni is the only captain in history to have won all three International Cricket Council's (ICC) global trophies – World Twenty20 (2007), World Cup (2011) and Champions Trophy (2013).

Dhoni is the world record holder for most international matches as a captain. He led India in 331 matches across formats.

Most international matches by a cricketer (Top 10)

1. 664 (200 Tests, 463 ODIs, 1 T20I) – Sachin Tendulkar (India)
2. 652 (149, 448, 55) – Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka)
3. 594 (134, 404, 56) – Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)
4. 586 (110, 445, 31) – Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka)
5. 560 (168, 375, 17) – Ricky Ponting (Australia)
6. 524 (27, 398, 99) – Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)
7. 519 (166, 328, 25) – Jacques Kallis (South Africa)
8. 509 (164, 344, 1) – Rahul Dravid (India)
9. 499 (120, 378, 1) – Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pakistan)
10. 497 (90, 318, 89) – MS Dhoni (India)

 India tour of England 2018 - Full schedule

• 1st T20I on July 3 at Old Trafford, Manchester
• 2nd T20I on July 6 at Sophia Gardens Cardiff
• 3rd T20I on July 8 at County Ground, Bristol
• 1st ODI on July 12 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham
• 2nd ODI on July 14 at Lord's London
• 3rd ODI on July 17 at Headingley, Leeds
• 1st Test between August 1 and 5 at Edgbaston, Birmingham