MS Dhoni's retirement: Some of the best knocks of Captain Cool

MS Dhoni is regarded as one of the greatest captains and wicketkeeper-batsmen to have ever played the game. As he announced his retirement from international cricket on Saturday, let's take a look at some of the best knocks of MSD in his illustrious career.

148 vs Pakistan, Visakhapatnam, April 2005

It was the match that announced the arrival of a new superstar in Indian cricket. With long hair tinged with a touch of brown, Dhoni looked like a young man who wanted to enjoy his time in the sun without pressure. Not once did his innings betray the fact that he was coming into the match after a string of low scores. The then captain Sourav Ganguly's move to promote the Young Turk up to No. 3 against the arch-rivals paid dividends for India and Dhoni. He smashed 15 fours and 4 sixes in an innings that remains one of his finest and bears the hallmark of a cavalier Dhoni.

183 not out vs Sri Lanka, Jaipur, October 2005

Sri Lanka batted first, piled on 298 for the loss of 4 wickets, thanks largely to Kumar Sangakkara's brilliant unbeaten knock of 138 in the third ODI of the series. The visitors then scalped the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar early, giving a major jolt to the run chase. Dhoni, who was promoted to No. 3, began to massacre Sri Lanka's attack and hammered the likes of Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan to all parts of the ground. He blazed away to an unbeaten 183 from 145 balls, a destructive innings decorated with 10 sixes and 15 fours. India romped home with more than 20 balls to spare.

91 not out vs Sri Lanka, Mumbai, April 2011

Before that now-legendary innings in the final, Dhoni enjoyed moderate success with the bat in the 2011 ICC World Cup. As the saying goes, however, cometh the hour, cometh the man. After Sri Lanka posted 274 on the board riding on the back of Mahela Jayawardene's unbeaten 103, the match was evenly balanced. India lost their openers Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar early in the chase. The experienced duo of Gautam Gambhir and Dhoni then paced the pursuit with the surgical precision, putting up a 109-run fourth-wicket partnership. Dhoni finished the match with a six and India clinched their second World Cup title after 1983.

139 not out vs Australia, Mohali, October 2013

It was a trademark Dhoni innings laced with precise calculation and breathtaking strokeplay. India wound on the losing side, but the innings that he played in the third ODI of the 7-match ODI series is still hailed as one of his finest. Batting first, India's top-order collapsed and the team was tottering at 76 for 4. Enter Dhoni who guided the innings masterfully, first with the support of Kohli who made 68 and then with lower-order batsmen to help India post a total of 303. Despite batting under huge pressure, he hammered an unbeaten 139 off 121 balls. Australia chased down the total with 4 wickets to spare, thanks to James Faulkner's heroics with the bat as he scored an unbeaten 64 off just 29 balls.

224 vs Australia, Chennai, February 2013

It was time for Dhoni, the Test cricket marauder. And unfortunately, Australia was on the receiving end of the assault. India was under a bit of pressure at 196 for 4 after Sachin Tendulkar was castled by Nathan Lyon, as the visitors sensed that they could sneak a lead after scoring 380 in their first innings. MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, however, had other ideas. They proceeded to take the attack to the opposition. Kohli fell when India was still 56 runs adrift of Australia's total, but Dhoni continued his charge and brought up his first and only double century in Test cricket. It was a mammoth innings of 224 off 265 deliveries, which comprised 24 fours and 6 sixes. It is still the only double-century scored by any Indian wicketkeeper-batsman in Test cricket.