Chennai, March 24 – Former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, representing Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, stunned cricket fans and experts alike with a lightning-fast stumping that once again highlighted his brilliance behind the stumps. Despite being 43 years old, Dhoni's reflexes and precision remain unmatched.
The incident occurred during CSK's match against Mumbai Indians on Sunday, when spinner Noor Ahmad bowled a googly that beat the outside edge of batter Suryakumar Yadav. Dhoni, stationed behind the stumps, removed the bails in a mere 0.12 seconds – faster than the blink of an eye. Suryakumar, who was batting on 29, was dismissed just as a 51-run partnership was taking shape, allowing CSK to claw their way back into the game.
As per agency report, Dhoni’s former teammate and cricket commentator Matthew Hayden lauded the legendary wicketkeeper on a T20 Timeout show, calling the stumping an example of Dhoni’s unmatched agility and game awareness. Hayden emphasized that such deliveries are difficult to collect because the batter often obstructs the keeper’s angle, yet Dhoni executed the stumping flawlessly.
Current CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad added that Dhoni practices challenging wicketkeeping drills, which helps him remain sharp for such crucial moments. Former CSK player Piyush Chawla echoed similar sentiments, suggesting that Dhoni likely trained specifically to keep against Noor Ahmad before the season began. He explained that Dhoni often practices for 10-12 deliveries with new bowlers to understand their wrist positions and spin variations, especially when dealing with wrist spinners.
The exceptional display behind the stumps has reaffirmed Dhoni’s stature as one of the finest wicketkeepers the game has ever seen, with many hailing his continued dedication and instinctive brilliance even as he enters the twilight of his career.
