Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s quick reflexes behind the stumps impressed former Australian opener Matthew Hayden during an IPL match. Even though Dhoni is 43 and not in his prime, he still shows he’s got the skills. He retired from international cricket five years ago but continues to play for the Chennai Super Kings, where he’s led the team to five IPL titles.
On Sunday, Dhoni made a spectacular stumping of Suryakumar Yadav off Noor Ahmad’s delivery, catching a lot of attention. Hayden, who played with Dhoni at CSK until 2010, praised his timing, saying, He was on fire. The stumping was just superb—fast hands and great vision. He’s still got it.
That stumping was a key moment, helping CSK break a 51-run partnership and keep the Mumbai Indians to 155/9. CSK went on to win by chasing down the target with four wickets left and five balls to spare at Chepauk. Noor Ahmad also shared his thoughts after the match, saying, The stumping from MSD was out of this world. It feels nice to have someone like Mahi Bhai behind the stumps.
According to Star Sports, that stumping happened in just 0.12 seconds. Piyush Chawla, a former India and CSK spinner, believes Dhoni must have practiced with Noor before the match. He mentioned how important it is for Dhoni to get comfortable with a new bowler, especially a wrist spinner, so he usually has them bowl some balls in practice to get used to their style.
