MS Dhoni turns 44: Revisiting the top 5 most iconic stumpings by Captain Cool

Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is known for his lightning-fast stumpings. Although he called it quits from international cricket in 2019, Dhoni still plies his trade for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League and seems to have lost none of his Midas-like touch behind the stumps.

As he turns 44 on Monday, July 7, we take a look at some of the most iconic stumpings he effected in his career. These stumpings, more often than not, changed the complexion of the game and remain etched in folklore and public memory even years after they took place.

In this piece, we take a look at the top five most iconic stumpings made by Dhoni in his career:

#5 Ian Bell, 2013 ICC Champions Trophy

One of the most iconic stumpings Dhoni effected in his career was that of English batter Ian Bell in the final of the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. In a rain-affected game, which was reduced to 20 overs a side, Dhoni whipped Bell's bails off an angled delivery from Ravindra Jadeja in the ninth over of the match.

Bell missed the delivery completely, and Dhoni did not even blink to take the bails off. This was perhaps the moment when things started turning for the Indian side, and from where they started believing that they could defend the modest total of 129. Eventually, they did just that, winning the match - and title - by five runs.

#4 Mitchell Marsh, 2012 Australia-India bilateral series

Dhoni weaved his magic all over the Australians too, this time in a T20I during India's 2011-12 tour Down Under. Mitchell Marsh was at the crease with Australia at 119-5 inside 17 overs. Leg-spinner Rahul Sharma tossed the ball at a length outside off, inviting Marsh to drive, which he tried to, but failed to connect.

Dhoni collected the ball so close to the stumps that all he had to do was push at them slightly to stump Marsh out, whose backfoot had dragged outside the crease. It took Dhoni all of 0.09 seconds to do so, making this stumping one of the fastest he effected in his stellar career.

#3 Keemo Paul, 2018 India-West Indies bilateral series

The stumping Dhoni effected of Keemo Paul in the fourth match of a five-game bilateral series between India and the West Indies in 2018 was the quickest of his career. Ravindra Jadeja tossed a ball up outside the off stump, which got Paul thinking and drove him forward, only to poke at it unsuccessfully.

By the time he could even think of something else, there were loud cheers from the crowd. Paul turned around to check what the hullabaloo was all about, only to see that Dhoni had stumped him out. It took Dhoni just 0.08 seconds to effect the stumping as Paul's back foot had edged just outside of the crease. Even Jadeja was, at first, not sure if Dhoni had indeed stumped Paul out so quickly.

#2 Shubman Gill, 2023 IPL Final

Shubman Gill was batting as if on a different surface altogether in the final of the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League, played between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans. Alongside fellow opener Wriddhiman Saha, Gill had stitched together a partnership of 62 runs inside the first six overs of the game itself.

CSK captain Dhoni then turned to his ace, Ravindra Jadeja, who was asked to bowl the seventh over of the game. After a few looseners, Jadeja managed to deceive Gill off the last ball of this over, and got the latter to lose his balance just a tad. Dhoni, meanwhile, took just 0.1 seconds to gather the ball, whip the bails off and celebrate. And when Dhoni celebrated, everyone knew what it meant - Gill was out.

#1 Sabbir Rahman, 2016 T20 World Cup

Perhaps the most iconic stumping Dhoni has effected in his career was that of Sabbir Rahman in the 2016 ICC T20 World Cup. Set a modest target of 147 to chase at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Bangladesh seemed to be in complete control of proceedings at 69-2 in the first nine overs of their innings.

Dhoni then asked part-timer Suresh Raina to come into the attack. The latter took some time before bowling a wide delivery down the legside that batter Sabbir Rahman could not get his hands on. Dhoni received the ball by moving well, and then waited patiently for the batter to lose his balance, and then whip the bails off.

While Dhoni is renowned for the way he ran Mustafizur Rahman out towards the end of this match, this stumping of Rahman played a big role in stifling the Bangladeshi run chase. Eventually, India won this match by one run, and kept their hopes of a knockout berth alive in the tournament.