He was a top‑class hitter up to 2013, especially in ODIs.
Pure muscle.
He used to dominate spin, but later his spin game went down the drain. Dhoni's USP is his sheer power; he can still thump a few sixes better than most current CSK finishers.
Those hands - the power they generated! Age may have dulled his hand‑eye coordination a bit, but he can still loft some jaw‑dropping sixes.
I think he smashed 183/148 against Pakistan early on - a brutal smacker of the ball.
Many players say they've never seen such hard hitting from anyone except Dhoni; he used to absolutely crush the ball.
It wasn't just the six‑hitting that was crazy; it was his knack for smashing them exactly when a chase needed them. He'll keep doing it, and the sheer number of times he's pulled it off is mind‑boggling.
Raw power - only a handful of cricketers have it and focus on hitting hard rather than being technical. It relies on hand‑eye coordination and sheer strength ✅
Another example is Rishabh Pant.
The Phase‑1 Dhoni.
Power + timing + calmness = peak MSD.