Indian legend MS Dhoni is regarded as one of the greatest players to ever grace the cricketing field.
A captain, leader, and legend, Dhoni’s contribution to Indian cricket is perhaps immeasurable and has multiple facets.
Whether it was his captaincy that saw him win multiple trophies for both his country and Team Chennai in franchise cricket or his sheer brilliance with the bat that made him one of the deadliest finishers in the world, there was simply nothing that Dhoni couldn’t do at his peak.
The only cricketer to win the ODI World Cup, T20 World Cup, and the ICC Champions Trophy as captain, MS Dhoni's leadership skills have become a blueprint for generations to come.
His iconic six to win India its second ODI World Cup in 2011 is also imprinted in the minds of thousands of fans.
However, perhaps one facet of his game that goes slightly under the radar is his ability behind the stumps.
A one-of-a-kind gloveman who has pulled off sensational catches, and effected numerous sensationally improvised run-outs, MS Dhoni the wicketkeeper is always a force to be reckoned with.
His propensity to remove the bails and stumping players is also unparalleled and in the recently concluded Indian T20 League 2023, he once again reminded everyone just how good he can be behind the wickets by stumping Team Gujarat talisman Shubman Gill and impacting the game yet again with his glovework.
His stumping of Gill was one of the fastest ever seen in the cricket arena, prompting New Zealand commentator Simon Doull to remark that Dhoni was still the fastest in the world when it came to stumpings.
With that in mind, here’s a closer look at the top three for MS Dhoni’s fastest stumping record in cricket.
MS Dhoni fastest stumping record
MS Dhoni against Keemo Paul in 2018 - 0.08 seconds
Dhoni’s fastest stumping ever came against West Indies in 2018. In the fourth ODI of the series between India and the Windies, the team from the Caribbean already had their backs against the wall in a 377-run chase. And then in the penultimate ball of the 28th over, Dhoni was at his brilliant best by stumping Keemo Paul in just 0.08. Paul lunged forward while facing a delivery from Ravindra Jadeja only for the ball to turn away from him as Dhoni removed the bails in the blink of an eye to effect the fastest-recorded stumping in cricket history.
MS Dhoni against Mitchell Marsh in 2012 - 0.09 seconds
Dhoni stumping Keemo Paul wasn’t a one-off as Mitchell Marsh can attest. The Australian had fallen prey to Dhoni’s lightning-quick glovework six years earlier in 2012 during India’s tour Down Under. In the second match of a T20 series between the two countries, Mitchell Marsh had come out of his crease while facing spinner Rahul Sharma. The Australian ended up missing Sharma’s delivery and Dhoni did the rest in a split second by stumping the all-rounder in a mere 0.09 seconds which at the time was the fastest recorded stumping in cricket.
MS Dhoni against Shubman Gill in 2023 - 0.1 seconds
Even though Dhoni had retired from international cricket and was only playing the Indian T20 League in 2023 at the age of 41, he reminded the world that his reflexes were still one of the best in the game. Captaining Team Chennai in the final against defending champions Gujarat, Dhoni rolled back the years by stumping dangerman Shubman Gill in just 0.1 seconds. Gill lost his balance while trying to play a delivery from Jadeja which he missed. The ball had barely gone past Gill’s bat when he heard Dhoni stump him while he tried to drag his back foot back into the crease to no avail. Dhoni stumping Gill once again reminded the world that age is just a number for one of India’s most successful captains.
Photo credit: Alamy
