Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Aura Bigger Than Sachin Tendulkar's in Team India

By sheer intensity of his performances in World Cups, Mahendra Singh Dhoni probably has a greater impact on Team India than the legendary Sachin Tendulkar had. Considering the limited scope he build an innings and the pressure situations he faces as a finisher and of course as a captain, Dhoni is simply unbeatable. (Match Report)

Having retired from Test cricket during the recent series in Australia, Dhoni can focus entirely on the shorter versions of the game and in this World Cup, he has gone from strength to strength as a captain and an impact player. On Saturday, Dhoni overtook the legendary Clive Lloyd to become the second most World Cup captain with 10 straight wins. Ponting leads this list with 24.

While a captain is as good as his team -- Ponting and Lloyd were lucky to have several match-winners in their squads, Dhoni's performance as an individual performer stands out in two major spheres. He has a stunning average of 109.19 while chasing targets (Michael Bevan is a distant second) and during the 40-50 over stage of a match, Dhoni has close to 3000 ODI runs. (Dhoni Welcomes Pressure on India)

The cricket world got another glimpse of Dhoni's ability to chase down a target under pressure. More than his unbeaten 85, it was his role as a guide that enabled Suresh Raina slam his maiden World Cup century (110 not out). The duo produced a record unbeaten 196 runs for the fifth wicket to fashion India's six-wicket win in Auckland with eight balls to spare. At one stage, India, chasing Zimbabwe's 288, tottered at 92 for four and looked in deep trouble till Dhoni and a lucky Raina steadily took the game away from the inexperienced Africans. (Dhoni Hails India's Ability to Withstand Pressure)

Dhoni's demeanour has been an enigma in the cricket world. Former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris is in awe of Dhoni's ability to soak pressure and remain calm when panic waves strike the dressing room. Styris has shared the Chennai Super Kings dressing room with Dhoni and knows how the Indian captain handles pressure.

"No one can handle pressure like Dhoni. Other players feed off him. He remains calm and there is a lot of communication in the middle. He wants you to focus on the next ball and advises on your role. Truly amazing," Styris said on STAR Sports after Saturday's match.

Sunil Gavaskar has always been in awe of Dhoni and his leadership skills. Gavaskar said Dhoni was "Captain Super Duper Cool" and his amazing ability to judge quick singles makes him stand out as a successful chaser.

As India look for his successor - will Dhoni do a Kumar Sangakkara and stun the world by giving up the captaincy? - the Indian skipper has showed at every step in this World Cup why Virat Kohli has miles to go before becoming a good leader of men.

Scoring runs and taking wickets do matter. Intensity is crucial but a captain has a bigger role to play. He is the team's mentor, someone players can look up to for guidance. Raina did this on Saturday and got rewarded.

Dhoni remains irreplaceable as India's ODI captain.