MS Dhoni and Ricky Ponting have been two of the most successful captains in ODI cricket. Both have enjoyed triumphs in ICC tournaments - while Dhoni led India to victory in the 2011 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy, Ponting was the captain of the formidable Aussie side which won two consecutive World Cup titles (2003 and 2007).
Former Australian batsman Michael Hussey is one of those players who has played under both the captains. While Hussey was a regular for the Australian team, he played for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL - a franchise led by Dhoni.
And so, in a conversation with ESPNCricinfo, he was asked to choose his favourite ODI captain between the two. Hussey insisted that it was a tough call, but he eventually picked one.
"It’s a tough one, well, I will have to say, Ricky. I never played in ODIs with MS Dhoni, so I will go with Ricky," said Hussey.
The Aussie batsman, often called 'Mr Cricket', was the part of the team which won the World Cup in 2007 under Ponting's captaincy. He also played a major role in CSK's consecutive wins in IPL 2010 and IPL 2011. He currently works as a batting coach for the franchise.
While Ponting announced his retirement from international cricket back in 2012, MS Dhoni is still an active member of the Indian team but he resigned from the side's captaincy in 2017. He continues to lead CSK.
The speculations over his international retirement have increased considerably after the 2019 World Cup, where India lost in the semifinal to New Zealand.