MS Dhoni in numbers - The most-capped international captain

MS Dhoni's decision to step down as captain of India's limited-overs sides was anticipated for some time now, even if the timing of the call came as a bolt from the blue. Dhoni's tenure as captain encompassed 199 ODIs, ending in a 3-2 series win against New Zealand at home last October. He also led the side in 72 T20Is, that included a World T20 win in 2007.

He called time on his Test career after the Boxing Day Test at the MCG in 2014. A look into how the numbers stack for Dhoni while leading India:

331 Matches captained by Dhoni across formats is the most by any player. He went past Ricky Ponting's 324 matches during the T20Is against Zimbabwe in June 2016.

Dhoni's record as captain

1 MS Dhoni is the only player to captain 50 or more matches in each format. He captained India in 60 Tests, 199 ODIs and 72 T20Is.

110 ODIs won by Dhoni as captain. Only Ricky Ponting (165 wins in 230 ODIs) has won more as captain in ODIs. Dhoni finished one short of becoming the third player to captain in 200 ODIs, after Ponting and Stephen Fleming (218).

8 Test playing sides against which Dhoni has won bilateral ODI series. Interestingly, the only side he has not beaten is Bangladesh, against whom he lost 1-2 in 2015. Ponting is the only captain to win bilateral series against all the nine teams.

43 ODI series played by India under Dhoni. The captains who have led in more series are Arjuna Ranatunga (51), Stephen Fleming (49) and Ponting (48). India have won 19 series under Dhoni, joint-most with Mohammad Azharuddin (in 41 series).

1 Dhoni is the only wicketkeeper to lead a side in more than 100 matches across formats, 255 ahead of the next placed Mushfiqur Rahim (76). The next most by a wicketkeeper in each of the formats is 23 each by Mushfiqur in Tests and T20Is, and 46 by Andy Flower in ODIs.

5 Dhoni was the fifth player to captain India in more than 100 international matches. 331 matches by him is 110 more than the next placed Mohammad Azharuddin.

Most matches as captain of India

1112 runs scored by Dhoni in T20Is is the most by a captain. He was also the first captain to the 1000-run landmark and only Faf du Plessis (1003) has reached the milestone since.

6633 runs scored by Dhoni is ODIs while leading is the second most for a player after Ponting's 8497 runs. Among the 64 captains with at least 1000 runs in 50-over cricket, Dhoni's average of 53.92 is the second only to AB de Villiers' 65.92.

126 sixes hit by Dhoni in 171 innings is the most by a captain in ODIs, ahead of 123 by Ponting (220 innings). Dhoni went past the record during his innings of 80 against New Zealand in Mohali in his last series as captain.

Dhoni is the first and only captain to win all the three ICC Trophies - World T20 in 2007, 50-over World Cup in 2011 and Champions Trophy in 2013. His unbeaten 91 in the finals of the 2011 World Cup made him the third captain to win Man of the Match award after Clive Lloyd in 1975 and Ricky Ponting in 2003.

Dhoni is the only player to lead his side in six editions of the World T20. The next most is three each by Paul Collingwood (2007, 2009. 2010) and Darren Sammy (2012, 2014, 2016)

Dhoni is the only captain to average above 30 in T20Is (Min 500 runs), 40 in Tests (Min 1000 runs) and 50 in ODIs (Min 1000 runs). He averages 37.06 in T20Is, 40.63 in Tests and 53.92 in ODIs while leading the side.