Shocking! MS Dhoni did not practice wicketkeeping after....
Published - 24 Aug 2025, 06:50 PM | Updated - 24 Aug 2025, 06:54 PM
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MS Dhoni is regarded as one of the greatest wicketkeepers the game has ever seen. MS Dhoni’s brilliance behind the stumps wasn’t just natural talent; it was the result of hard work. However, he stopped practicing wicketkeeping regularly after establishing himself on the international stage.
Recently, former India fielding coach R. Sridhar revealed that Dhoni stopped wicketkeeping practice after about eight to nine years in international cricket, relying instead on instinct, experience, and unmatched game awareness.
Why did MS Dhoni stop practicing wicketkeeping?
Despite this, the former Indian captain’s presence behind the stumps remained razor-sharp, producing lightning-fast stumpings and incredible catches that left the best in the business stunned. Dhoni has not followed the conventional textbook methods as the wicketkeeper, but still, he became one of the smartest, most effective, and greatest wicketkeepers in history.
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With his incredible reflexes and sharp game-reading skills, Dhoni has 829 international dismissals, including 634 catches and a record 195 stumpings to his name. Even now, at 44, Dhoni continues to shine in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), finishing the IPL 2025 with 6 catches and 5 stumpings.
R Sridhar was quoted as saying by Cricket.com, “MS Dhoni did not practice wicketkeeping after playing eight or nine years of international cricket. While he was growing up, and while he was yet to make a mark in international cricket, let’s say before 2007, before 2005, he worked a lot on his wicketkeeping skills. He had a very good technique; he had a technique of his own. I wouldn’t call it unorthodox but very effective.”
R Sridhar reveals MS Dhoni’s smart training tricks to stay razor-sharp behind the stumps
Sridhar further revealed that MS Dhoni learned to manage his workload carefully while playing all three formats of the game. He focused on shorter drills designed to keep his reactions sharp.
The former fielding coach further explained, “He had practiced a lot, and he self-admittedly said that once he started playing three formats for India, the workload was so much that there was no need for him to practice more because his fingers were taking a beating, collecting those deliveries behind the stumps and throws, and everything else.”
Sridhar signed off by saying, “That is when he very smartly decreased the workload as a wicketkeeper. Instead, he did some small reaction drills, which kept him sharp and his gloves lightning fast.”
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MS Dhoni’s genius behind the stumps goes viral years later
Meanwhile, a remarkable moment from January 29, 2016, during India’s match against Australia in Melbourne, resurfaced across social media, which highlighted MS Dhoni’s incredible instincts behind the stumps. Australia was chasing 184 and struggling to keep up with the required run rate.
And all the hopes rested on James Faulkner, who was dismissed in a way no one had seen before. Faulkner went for a cut shot off Ravindra Jadeja’s delivery, but the ball deflected off Dhoni’s pad and crashed into the stumps while the Aussie star was out of his crease.
Dhoni’s instant reaction confirmed the unusual dismissal, showcasing his razor-sharp awareness. Current Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey said after watching that moment, “Dhoni, he's a genius, so he probably meant it.”
"Dhoni, he's a genius!"
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) August 23, 2025
Alex Carey reacts to this incredible stumping from the Indian champion 👏 pic.twitter.com/KwSulc2yLf
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