1. 183 vs SL at Jaipur, 2005
It, perhaps, was the earliest indication of the finisher inside Dhoni. Sri Lanka made a stiff 298 for 4 and India lost Sachin Tendulkar early in the chase. Skipper Sourav Ganguly promoted Dhoni to No 3 and it paid a massive dividend. No other Indian batsman managed to score briskly or reached fifty, but Dhoni hammered a 145-ball 183 with 15 fours and 10 sixes as India raced past the target with four overs to spare. The knock told the world about the arrival of Dhoni.
2. 2007 World T20 win
It was the first time Dhoni was leading in India. And India went on to win the inaugural ICC World T20 in South Africa. Since that triumph Dhoni and India never looked back. The T20 format became a rage in India and soon Indian Premier League came into existence and cemented the place of T20 among Indian cricket fans.
3. 2011 50-over WC triumph
India's previous 50-over victory came way back in 1983. On the home soil, India were considered favourites and India justified the tag going all the way to title triumph. The triumph was all the more sweet because Dhoni sealed it with a massive six over long on fence to beat Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
4. 2013 Champions Trophy win
India annexed the Champions Trophy title in England with a strong run throughout the tournament. Thus India became the first nation to win all the three ICC trophies. Shikhar Dhawan was the man of the series.
5. Dhoni's records
Dhoni has played 90 Tests and made 4876 runs at 38.09 with 6 hundreds and 33 fifties. In 350 ODIs, he made 10773 runs at 50.57 with 10 hundreds and 73 fifties. From 98 T20Is, Dhoni has amassed 1617 runs at 37.60 with two fifties.