What's special about Dhoni in IPL 2018?
What's the story
Indian wicket-keeper batsmen are having a prolific season in this IPL.
The likes of Rahul and Pant are in the form of their lives, scoring runs at will and posing a threat to Karthik's 'spot'.
But one man stands apart from the rest; MS Dhoni.
Dhoni is having a stellar campaign, but what's special about him this season?
Here, we decode his numbers!
Striking clean
Nothing goes wrong when MSD is on song
In 9 matches, Dhoni has raked up more half centuries that his last two seasons combined while playing for Pune.
He has 329 runs at an average of 82.25 at a strike rate of 169.58 with three half-centuries to his name.
He has already surpassed his run tally of 2016 as well as 2017.
His clean hits have been delightful to watch.
Upping the ante
Dhoni has been more than just a finisher this season
Dhoni is usually known to be a finisher and doesn't spend too much time at the crease.
He comes to bat in the last few overs and tries his best to do his job.
However, that has not been the case this season.
Dhoni has promoted himself up the order, which is why, he has played 194 balls till now.
Quick runs
Scoring at a quicker strike rate
Dhoni is not just spending time at the crease, he is converting it into quick runs.
His strike-rate of 169.58 is his highest in the IPL.
Dhoni's average strike-rate in the IPL is 138.73.
His previous best strike-rate in a season was in the 2013 season, where he scored 461 runs at an average of 41.90 and a strike rate of 162.89.
Clearing the ropes
So how has Dhoni improved his scoring rate?
It's a well know fact that Dhoni is one of the quickest between the wickets. But this season runs have come in the form of sixes.
With 24 sixes in just 9 games, a tally better than 7 of his past seasons.
The most sixes Dhoni has hit in a season is 25 and that record will surely not stand for long.