The extraordinary alertness and anticipation of a wicketkeeper is demonstrated by the fastest stumping in cricket history. On many occasions, wicket-keepers have dazzled the crowd with their on-field skills. Here are the top 10 fastest stumpings in cricket history:
1. MS Dhoni Against Keemo Paul (India Vs West Indies)
In the fourth one-day international, India's wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni stumped the Windies' Keemo Paul in just 0.08 seconds. Paul tried to block the ball from Ravindra Jadeja, but he was not fast enough to beat Dhoni. As we all know, Dhoni is lightning-fast behind the stumps; he quickly gathered the ball and scattered the bails. Dhoni's quick glove action and lightning-quick reflexes made Paul wonder what just happened. If there is anything faster than the speed of light, then Dhoni's stumpings must be the fastest in the universe.
2. MS Dhoni Against Shubman Gill (CSK Vs GT)
Even though he is retired from international cricket, Dhoni still plays for the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League. Shubman Gill tries to drive Ravindra Jadeja in the seventh over of GT's innings during the IPL 2023 Championship game vs. CSK, but the ball quickly slips off his bat. Dhoni took advantage of the opportunity to show his quickness behind the wicket, stumping the effective batsman in just 0.1 seconds. Dhoni's stumping became #1 on Twitter as his fans started praising him for his quickness, even at 41.
3. Ben Cox Against Calum Macleod (Worcestershire Vs Scotland)
One of the fastest stumpings in cricket history was done by Ben Cox when he dismissed Callum McLeod. This happened during a match between Scotland and Worcestershire. Talented Scottish batsman Callum McLeod attempted a brilliant strike but was caught in a funny accident. He wanted to play a perfect shot to increase the scoring rate for his team, but the bowler was clever, and his sudden change of pace caused McLeod to miss the ball completely. Cox quickly collected the ball and cleared the bails, leaving McLeod unprotected.
4. MS Dhoni Against Shaun Marsh In 2012 (India Vs Australia)
The incident happened during a T20 match in Melbourne. Australian batsman Shaun Marsh tried and went for the big shot. Rahul Sharma bowled a leg-break delivery that beat him. Marsh drags his leg out of the crease, leaving enough room for Dhoni to take the bails off. This was recorded as the fastest stumping in Dhoni's career. Dhoni’s smart skills and calmness make him the best captain and wicketkeeper.
5. Mark Boucher Against Marvan Atapattu (South Africa Vs Sri Lanka)
This match happened between South Africa and Sri Lanka and is still considered one of the best stumpings in history. Boucher swept the ball to dismiss Marvan Atapattu while pleading for a catch behind the wicket. When Boucher appealed, Atapattu missed the ball and unintentionally walked out of his crease. Atapattu left his crease to give Boucher an opportunity to hit the stumps while he was still appealing. When the ball hit the wicket, Atapattu was far away from his safe zone and was unable to process the moment he was in.
6. Brendon McCullum Against Ricky Ponting (New Zealand Vs Australia)
Australia got off to a terrific start with a target of 207 runs. McCullum went down to collect the ball and hit the bails off after collecting it wide down the leg side of Tim Southee. Ponting stood for a few minutes, wondering what had happened. Ponting still calls this one of the best stumpings he has ever seen. He says he still sometimes wonders how fast McCullum was on the field.
7. Kumar Sangakkara Against Jimmy Maher (Sri Lanka Vs Australia)
Kumar Sangakkara made an incredible stumping during a match between Australia and Sri Lanka at the Gabba. Muralitharan, a spinner from Sri Lanka, bowled a perfect delivery, ensuring that Jimmy Maher of Australia would undoubtedly be on the losing side. Maher walks out of the crease. But this is where Sangakkara's genius shines through. He put together a big dive to get the ball, caught it with one hand, and threw it under the stumps with the other.
8. Bradley Barnes Against Saurabh Tiwary (India Vs South Africa Under 19)
The incident happened between India’s and South Africa’s under-19 teams. Saurabh Tiwari was the batsman who was at the crease. Due to his leg issue, Tanmay Srivastava was his runner. The South African spinner bowled a low, full delivery. Tiwary missed it completely, and South African wicketkeeper Bradley Barnes, with his amazing presence of mind and skills, picked up the ball and took the bails off. Replay showed that Tiwary was safely inside the crease, while his runner was the one who was out of the crease. Though India won the World Cup, that day’s stumping made it into the top 10 fastest stumpings in history.
9. Kumar Sangakkara Against Brian Lara (Sri Lanka Vs West Indies)
The incident happened during the match between Sri Lanka and the West Indies. As Brian Lara was at the crease, he failed in his attempt to hit the ball and momentarily took his leg out. At that moment, Sangakkara showed his quick reflexes and stumped Lara out, leaving him dumfounded.
10. Dinesh Karthik Against Michael Vaughan (India Vs England)
The incident happened during India's game against England at Lord's. Dinesh Karthik made his debut in this match against England. Harbhajan Singh was the bowler, and he lofted the ball outside leg stump. Michael Vaughan runs to his left but misses. Karthik took this opportunity to show his skills and stumped Vaughan. The most important wicket of the day was taken by Harbhajan Singh, with the amazing skills of debutant Dinesh Karthik.
