‘Dhoni arguably greatest white-ball captain’

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is arguably the greatest white-ball skipper in the history of the game, former England captains Michael Vaughan and Nasser Hussain said in a tribute to the Indian who quit international cricket on Saturday.

Known for his unflappable demeanour, 'Captain Cool' Dhoni led India to World Cup titles in 2007 (Twenty20) and 2011 (ODI), besides overseeing their 2013 Champions Trophy triumph.

Hoisting the inaugural World T20 trophy in Johannesburg, in a half-sleeved India vest in 2007 and hitting that six in the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka at Mumbai's Wankhede stadium, which instantly became an iconic moment in cricket and established the man who started out as a railway ticket collector as one of the game's greats, will forever remain etched amongst memorable moments.

Hard-hitting, unruffled no matter the pressure, the record of India's most successful captain will be virtually impossible to beat.

India also became the top-ranked Test team under Dhoni..

"What an incredible international career. You could argue the greatest ever white ball captain & finisher," tweeted Vaughan.

Hussain also praised Dhoni's ability to finish a game in style, best illustrated in the final of the 2011 World Cup when Dhoni sealed India's victory with a six.

"A great captain, probably the best white-ball captain there has ever been," Hussain told Sky Sports.

"And also a cool, calm customer under pressure; a great finisher of a game, the game wasn't won until you got Dhoni out."

Dhoni aggregated 17,000 runs across formats and claimed more than 800 victims as wicketkeeper.

Shane Warne was another admirer of Dhoni's phlegmatic brand of leadership. "He had a calmness about him that was fantastic and he always got the best out of his team..." Warne told Sky Sports.

Many will remember him as an accumulator of runs after being appointed India's one-day captain in 2007, but it was his style which set Dhoni apart.

Cricketers from across the globe and Indian media paid tribute to the glittering career of Dhoni, who was fondly called 'Mahi' by his teammates.

Players and fans Sunday urged India's cricket board to retire Mahendra Singh Dhoni's number seven jersey in a tribute to the two-time World Cup winning captain.

There is no provision to retire jerseys in cricket, unlike in football. But the BCCI unofficially retired batting great Sachin Tendulkar's number 10 shirt a few years after his retirement.