When MS Dhoni made his way in the domestic arena many felt that he is unconventional and won’t last long. A traditional wicket-keeper would have a certain way of collecting the ball. But for Dhoni, following the norms was too simple and ordinary. His innovative techniques and the ability to hit the stumps from zero angles has given him an edge over others. Perhaps, it is his raw approach to the game has made him the best that India has seen.
After Dhoni got Ross Taylor out after blindly hitting the stumps, one would have that it happened by fluke. But Dhoni has time and again proven that pulling off such a stunt is no big deal for the 35-year-old from Ranchi. With such skills, he not only surprises the batsman but the world as well. Remember the crucial T20 World Cup match when Bangladesh needed two runs from a ball?
To be able to pre-plan in that tense moment, remove the glove and be prepared for any event is commendable. He not only knew what would happen but successfully out-ran the batsman and helped India win the match. Time and again he has pulled off such miracles not with the bat but with the gloves. In his career so far, he has played 90 Tests and has 256 catches and 38 stumpings to his name. In 282 ODIs, he has taken 266 catches and has 91 stumpings.
The stats that he has achieved in his career, outrank any other Indian wicket keeper. While analysing the stats of other keepers in the last two decades, a simple stand-out factor is that no one has represented India in as many matches as Dhoni has. Nayan Mongia has played 44 Tests in which he has 99 catches and 8 stumpings while Kiran More has 110 catches and 20 stumpings in his 49 Tests. Syed Kirmani has the second most number of Test matches as an Indian keeper. In his 88 outings, he has 160 catches and 38 stumpings.
In ODIs, Mongia has 110 catches and 44 stumpings in 140 matches, More has 63 catches and 27 stumpings in his 94 appearances while Kirmani has 27 catches and 9 stumpings in 49 ODIs that he has represented India. Dhoni’s massive win in the number game suggests that finding his replacement won’t be an easy task.
- (Cover Video Courtesy: YouTube.com/HashDot)
