Most runs in an innings by a wicketkeeper: MS Dhoni’s great record is unbreakable, even after 2 decades no one has been able to break it, two wicketkeepers missed after coming close.

New Delhi. Long hair, heavy bat in hand and amazing concentration in the eyes. On 31 October 2005, Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur saw a form of cricket which was never seen before. Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s unbeaten inning of 183 runs against Sri Lanka at number three broke Adam Gilchrist’s record and even after two decades, no wicketkeeper has been able to touch that magical figure.

The world record for playing the biggest innings in ODI as a wicketkeeper is in the name of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Against Sri Lanka on 31 October 2005 at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, Dhoni played an unbeaten inning of 183 runs in 145 balls which included 15 fours and 10 sixes. In this match, the Sri Lankan fielders were seen running all around the field in front of Dhoni’s tremendous shots. In world cricket, wicketkeepers like Adam Gilchrist and Quinton de Kock are known for hitting the balls hard and playing big innings, but both of them could not break this record of Mahi.

MS Dhoni holds the record for playing the biggest innings in ODI.

Ganguly took a bold decision and sent Dhoni to number three.
Batting first, Sri Lanka made a strong score of 298 runs with the help of Kumar Sangakkara’s century. India did not have a good start and veteran Sachin Tendulkar was out cheaply. At that time captain Sourav Ganguly took a bold decision and sent young Mahendra Singh Dhoni to bat at number 3. As soon as Dhoni came to the crease, he spoiled the line-length of the Sri Lankan bowlers. Veteran bowlers like fast bowlers Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan also looked helpless in front of Dhoni’s attacks. Dhoni faced only 145 balls and scored unbeaten 183 runs. During this innings he left behind Adam Gilchrist’s record of 172 runs. He also created an Indian record at that time by hitting 10 sixes in an innings.

World giants are chasing
After this mountain-like score of Dhoni, many great wicketkeepers played big innings, but even after coming close to Dhoni’s unbeaten 183 runs, they could not cross it. South African wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock played a stormy inning of 178 runs against Australia in 2016. He came closest to Dhoni’s record, but fell behind by just 5 runs. Bangladesh wicketkeeper Liton Das had scored 176 runs against Zimbabwe in the year 2020. At one time it seemed that he would leave Dhoni behind, but he too could not cross the figure of 180. Australian legend Adam Gilchrist, who laid the foundation of modern era wicketkeeper batsmen, scored 172 runs against Zimbabwe in 2004. Dhoni had won this crown by breaking his own record.

Dhoni’s great record remains intact
The nature of cricket has changed today. Due to the influence of T20, big scores are being made in ODIs also. But that inning of 183 runs by Dhoni remains an example. This was not just a figure of runs, but a new peak of batting ability of a wicketkeeper. Be it Sachin Tendulkar’s record or Ajit Agarkar’s fastest half-century, these are some of the pages of Indian cricket which are impossible to turn.