Former Australian batter Matthew Hayden has been stunned and praised on MS Dhoni’s lightning-fast stumping of Suryakumar Yadav in the IPL 2025 clash between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians on March 24 at Chepauk.
The 43-year-old MS Dhoni showed his brilliance once again on Sunday when he whipped off the bails in an instant off Noor Ahmad’s delivery, sending SKY back to the pavilion.
The former captain is nearing the end of his career, having hung up his international career five years ago and playing just as a player for the CSK after leading the team to five IPL titles.
“He (Dhoni) was on fire,” said Matthew Hayden. “I mean Noor Ahmad was firing down the leg side and it was just a movement across the ball. They’re difficult when you’re sitting there sort of partially obscured by the batsman.
“Then the stumping was just superb, just such quick timing, great hands, good vision. He’s still got it.”
Suryakumar Yadav‘s dismissal played a crucial moment in the game as CSK broke 51-run stand and eventually restricted Mumbai Indians to 155/9. Chennai Super Kings chased down the target with four wickets in hand and five balls to spare.
“The stumping from MSD (MS Dhoni) was out of the world,” said Noor during the post-match presentation.
Blink and you MiSs it! ⚡️
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 23, 2025
“It feels great to have someone like Mahi Bhai behind the stumps, it is a great support for me,” concluded Noor Ahmad.
Meanwhile, Piyush Chawla, former India and CSK spinner, believes MS Dhoni must have practices with Noor during pre-season camp to perfect the stumping.
“It does happen, it is a challenge if you have not kept against somebody,” he said.
“But I’m sure in the camp, he must have kept a lot of balls because if he’s keeping for somebody new, he especially takes that person to the stumps and says, you bowl a few balls,” said Chawla.
“(It has) not (happened) with me because I have bowled against him so many times and bowled to him in the nets also. But whenever somebody new comes, especially a wristspinner, he just makes sure he’s keeping 10-12 balls so that he gets used to the wrist position,” concluded Piyush Chawla.
CSK will play their next match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 28 at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.
