MS Dhoni becomes first player to play 250 matches in the IPL

MS Dhoni also holds the record for matches captained in the Indian Premier League - 226.

MS Dhoni on Monday set a huge record as his team, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), locks horns with Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) Final in Ahmedabad on May 29, 2023. He became the first cricketer to play 250 matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

He is also the first Indian player to reach this feat. The season finale against Gujarat at the Narendra Modi Stadium has also marked his 11th IPL final and 10th as CSK captain.

One of the steadfast members of the CSK camp is MS Dhoni, who joined in 2008 and has been in charge of the group ever since. In the previous 16 years, no other team has participated in as many IPL finals as CSK. He might not be the same finisher that he once was, but he is still the team's strongest supporter.

Dhoni has represented CSK in 219 games, scoring 4508 runs in 190 innings. Overall, in 249 matches, the former Indian captain has scored 5,082 runs at an average of 39.09 and a strike rate of 135.96 in 217 innings. He has smashed 24 half-centuries and is also the seventh-highest run scorer in the IPL.

He also played two seasons for the Rising Pune Super Giants, when CSK was banned in the spot-fixing saga, and captained the side in IPL 2016.

This is also MS Dhoni’s 28th appearance in playoff encounters and he has the record for most playoff matches played. He is followed by Suresh Raina (24), and Ravindra Jadeja (23).

MS Dhoni has captained 226 matches out of 250 played in the IPL

Dhoni has left a lasting impression on the IPL, surpassing his contemporaries in the process. Rohit Sharma, the captain of the Mumbai Indians, has logged 243 matches, which puts him in second place for appearances. With 242 matches, Dinesh Karthik is closely behind. Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja round out the top five with 237 and 226 matches, respectively.

In IPL, he holds the record for most dismissals by a wicket-keeper - 178 (137 catches & 41 stumpings) before Tuesday's summit clash.

He holds the league record for most games as captain, having captained his side in 226 games overall, demonstrating his shrewd leadership and tactical knowledge. With 158 matches, Rohit Sharma, who is second on the list of most games played as captain, is far behind.

Most number of matches in IPL:

1. MS Dhoni- 250

2. Rohit Sharma-  243

3. Dinesh Karthik- 242

4. Virat Kohli- 237

5. Ravindra Jadeja- 226