Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s lightning-fast stumping of Suryakumar Yadav during an IPL match has left former Australian opener Matthew Hayden in awe of the veteran’s sharp reflexes — even at 43. Though long past his international days, having retired five years ago, Dhoni continues to showcase his brilliance for Chennai Super Kings, now playing solely as a player after captaining the side to five IPL titles.
But on Sunday, Dhoni once again proved why he’s still a force to reckon with. In a flash, he whipped off the bails off Noor Ahmad’s delivery, sending Suryakumar Yadav back to the pavilion.
“He (Dhoni) was on fire,” said former Australia batter and ex-CSK teammate Matthew Hayden on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time Out. “Noor Ahmad was firing one down the leg side, and Dhoni’s movement across the ball was brilliant. Those are tough chances, especially with the batsman partially blocking your view. The stumping was just outstanding — lightning-fast hands, perfect timing, great vision. He’s still got it.”
Suryakumar’s dismissal for 29 was a turning point, breaking a 51-run partnership and helping CSK restrict Mumbai Indians to 155/9. CSK went on to chase the target with four wickets and five balls to spare at Chepauk.
“The stumping from MSD was out of this world,” said Noor Ahmad during the post-match presentation. “Having Mahi Bhai behind the stumps is such a huge support for me.”
According to Star Sports, the stumping was pulled off in a jaw-dropping 0.12 seconds.
Former India and CSK spinner Piyush Chawla believes Dhoni’s flawless stumping off Noor Ahmad’s delivery was likely the result of careful preparation during the pre-season camp.
“It’s definitely challenging if you haven’t kept to someone before,” Chawla explained. “But I’m sure during camp, he must have practiced a lot with Noor. Whenever there’s a new bowler — especially a wrist-spinner — Dhoni makes it a point to call them over, have them bowl 10-12 deliveries, and get a feel for their wrist position and variations.”
He added, “It didn’t happen with me because Dhoni had kept to me many times in matches and nets. But for new bowlers, that attention to detail is something he never misses.”
