Mahendra Singh Dhonis tenure as captain in T20 internationals is often romanticised for his early success but a closer look reveals a pattern of tactical stagnation and missed opportunities. While his leadership in the inaugural 2007 ICC T20 World Cup was an indisputable high point the years that followed painted a more sobering picture. Apart from that one iconic win Dhonis captaincy in T20 World Cups yielded diminishing returns with India consistently underperforming on the big stage. 2007 A Spark That Fizzled Out Dhoni led a young and largely untested Indian squad to victory in the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup. His unflappable demeanour and instinctive captaincy were hailed as revolutionary. Yet instead of building on this triumph the team faltered in every subsequent T20 World Cup under his leadership. What seemed like the beginning of a dynasty ended up being a flash in the pan. Poor Strategic Evolution in Later Campaigns In 2009 2010 and 2012 India could not go past the Super 8 stage. Critics questioned Dhonis often baffling team selections conservative tactics and reluctance to evolve with the fast-paced format. Further his faith in out-of-form players and the benching of promising talent drew flak. Even in the 2014 edition where India reached the final it was Virat Kohli who carried the team almost single-handedly. Kohli scored a staggering 319 runs while Dhoni batting lower down the order failed to exert any substantial influence. Indiarsquos loss to Sri Lanka in the final saw Dhoni criticised for his slow batting and defensive mindset. ALSO READVirat Kohlis retirement from Test cricket Only BCCI is to be blamed claims report 2016 A Missed Home Advantage Hosting the 2016 T20 World Cup was seen as Indias golden chance. Despite Kohlirsquos continued brilliance and some inspired performances from bowlers India fell to the West Indies in the semi-final. Once again Dhonis leadership was seen as reactive rather than proactive. The lack of dynamism in crunch moments proved costly. Kohlirsquos Rise Dhonirsquos Eclipse Throughout Dhonirsquos later captaincy years it was Kohli who emerged as the teams backbone in T20 cricket as his dominance with the bat was in stark contrast to Dhonirsquos cautious and often passive role. Analysts argued that Dhonirsquos strategies were better suited to ODIs and Tests but ill-matched for the high-octane ever-evolving T20 format. ALSO READIs Karun Nair the perfect No. 4 batter to replace Virat Kohli in tests? A Captain Who Didnt Keep Up While MS Dhoni remains a towering figure in Indian cricket history his track record in T20 World Cups post-2007 presents a different narrative. The lack of a single T20 World Cup title after his debut win combined with Indiarsquos repeated exits at key stages supports the argument that Dhoni for all his early magic failed to adapt and deliver as a long-term T20 leader. In retrospect his T20 captaincy record stands as a missed opportunity and proof that early success does not guarantee enduring greatness.