NEW DELHI: India cricket legend Mahendra Singh Dhoni not only holds the record for most stumpings in ODI cricket but his innovative stumpings are a hallmark of his wicket-keeping prowess and quick reflexes.
MS Dhoni‘s stumpings have often left batsmen stunned, showing a blend of anticipation, sharp technique, and agility.
In a video of a recent event that is now viral, Dhoni narrates an interesting conversation that transpired between him and his wife Sakshi while they were watching a cricket match.
Dhoni says, “We were watching an ODI at home, Sakshi was there with me. Usually me and Sakshi don’t talk about cricket. The bowler bowled a wide, the batsman stepped out and was stumped. The on field umpire went for the third umpire. My wife started, ‘It’s not out and by the time she said that, the batsman had already started walking back. ‘You just see they will call him back, one cannot get stumped on a wide ball’.”
Dhoni continues, “I said no, no a stumping can be done off a wide ball but not off a no ball. And she said, ‘Tumko kuch nahi pata hai’ (you don’t know anything), you just wait, the third umpire will call him back.’ And by the time this conversation is happening, the batsman has already reached the boundary line. And she’s like, ‘no, no, they have to call him back.’ But finally when the next batsman came, she was like ‘you know there is something wrong’.”
The audience bursts into laughter at the anecdote narrated by Dhoni.
Dhoni’s stumpings are widely celebrated not just because they often come at crucial junctures, changing the course of matches, but also remain an inspiration for wicketkeepers worldwide.