MS Dhoni inducted to ICC Hall of Fame

Former India captain MS Dhoni has been inducted to the ICC Hall of Fame in the batch of 2025, unveiled ahead of the World Test Championship final at Lord's. The honour is a recognition of a stellar 14-year international career in which Dhoni won several top honours, both individually and with the Indian team.

He is the only captain to lift all three ICC senior white-ball trophies - the 50-over World Cup, the T20 World Cup and the Champions Trophy. He was also captain when India ascended to the top of the ICC Test rankings in the late 2000s.

Dhoni played 350 ODIs, scoring 10,773 runs in what was his most productive format. He also played 90 Test matches and 98 T20Is in an international career that began in December 2004. In all, he scored more than 15,000 international runs across formats, hit 16 centuries, and effected 829 dismissals as wicketkeeper.

The batch of 2025 also saw the inductions of the South African pair of Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla. Smith took over the reins of the South Africa side at a young age of 22 and went on to become the first captain in the history of the game to lead his side in more than 100 Tests. Amla, who played under Smith, also enjoyed a prolific career in both ODIs and Tests, scoring 8113 runs at 49.46 and 9282 runs at 46.64 respectively. He scored a total of 56 centuries across his international career.

The inductees also featured a destructive opening batter from Australia - Matthew Hayden - and a wily left-arm spinner - Daniel Vettori - from New Zealand. Hayden was known for his aggressive approach at the top of the order and was a pillar of Australia's dominance in the 2000s. He scored 8625 runs in 103 Tests at an average of 50.73, including 30 centuries, and holds the record for the highest individual Test score by an Australian - 380 against Zimbabwe. In ODIs, he amassed over 6,000 runs and was a key member of Australia's victorious 2007 World Cup squad, finishing as their highest run-scorer in the tournament.

Vettori, meanwhile, became one of New Zealand's most reliable performers with both ball and bat. He took 362 wickets in 113 Tests and 305 wickets in 295 ODIs, making him one of the most successful left-arm spinners in the history of the game. A crafty operator with excellent control and subtle variations, Vettori was also a handy lower-order batter, scoring over 4500 international runs. He captained New Zealand in all formats and later transitioned into coaching roles around the world.

Joining these five were two trailblazers from the women's game - Sarah Taylor of England and Sana Mir of Pakistan. Taylor, widely regarded as one of the finest wicketkeepers in the history of women's cricket, was known for her quick reflexes behind the stumps and elegant strokeplay. She played 10 Tests, 126 ODIs, and 90 T20Is, amassing over 6500 international runs.

Mir, a pioneering figure in Pakistan women's cricket, captained her side in 137 matches and played a total of 226 internationals. An effective off-spinner and gritty lower-order batter, she took 240 international wickets and scored over 1,600 runs. She was also named one of the BBC's 100 Women in 2019 for her contributions to cricket and social change.