In cricket, the batter is appraised when he scores plenty of runs in a few deliveries; a bowler is appraised when he maintains a low economy rate and takes multiple wickets. But cricket is not only about batters and bowlers. The wicketkeeper also plays a crucial role, which we might not realise. The keeper has to be fully cautious of the batter’s movements and not miss an opportunity to take the bails off. Hence, it is quite a challenging task, as it requires utter focus and quick movements. Stumping, for instance, requires the wicketkeeper to be really flexible and clever, so that the keeper is able to stump even before the batter realises it. So, let’s look at some of the fastest stumping in cricket.
1. MS Dhoni Against Keemo Paul
As we all know, M.S. Dhoni is known for his tranquil nature and for making witty on-field decisions. His leadership skills are undoubtedly praiseworthy. Being the keeper, he is known for his quick movements at the time of stumping. For instance, in 2018, in a match against the Windies in Mumbai, he took only 0.08 seconds to stump Keemo Paul. It was the world’s fastest stumping and still remains so.
2. Mark Boucher Against Marvan Atapattu
In second place is when the Protea keeper, Mark Boucher, quickly dismissed Sri Lankan player, Marvan Atapattu in 2016. Interestingly, Atapattu lost track of the ball, and when he moved out of the crease, Boucher, using the opportunity, rapidly flicked the bails.
3. Brendon Mccullum Against Ricky Ponting
In a match between the Aussies and the Kiwis the former seemed to be in a comfortable position while chasing a target of 207. However, the Kiwis were desperate to knock down a wicket. So, Tim Southee, on his next ball, changed his bowling strategy, due to which Ponting tried to play the shot but missed it. In doing so, Ponting’s feet moved out of the crease, and McCullum quickly stumped him.
4. Kumar Sangakkara Against Maher
In January 2003, during the VB series, Kumar Sangakkara cleverly stumped Jimmy Maher, an Aussie opener. Maher tried to play Sangakkara’s swing ball, but he missed it, and before the ball could touch the ground, Sangakkara grabbed it and flicked towards the wicket. The Sri Lankans were indeed delighted to see Sangakkara’s agility. The match took place at the Gabba.
5. Bradley Barnes Against Saurabh Tiwari
In 2018, during an U-19 match, Yaseen Vallie, a South African bowler, bowled a full toss to an Indian batter, Saurabh Tiwary. Tiwari, unluckily, missed the shot, and the ball went into the hands of the keeper, Barnes, who quickly flicked the bails.
6. Sangakkara Against Brian Lara
During a match between Sri Lanka and the Windies in 2007, Brian Lara attempted to play an off-drive shot against Chamida Vass but unknowingly dragged his foot up in the air. Sangakkara, who grabbed the ball, stumped Lara in a split second, making it one of the fastest stumpings.
7. Dinesh Karthik Against Michael Vaughan
In a match between India and England at Lord’s, Michael Vaughan, the English captain, was playing smoothly and had settled well, thereby creating troubles for the Indian bowlers. But soon, he was stumped by 19-year-old, Dinesh Karthik on Harbhajan’s ball. It was a vital wicket, as it helped India win the match by 23 runs.
8. Adam Gilchrist Against Craig Mcmillan
In 2005, during a match between New Zealand and Australia, Craig McMillan was skilfully stumped by Adam Gilchrist in McGrath’s over. Though McMillan stepped up to hit the ball, he missed it and went to Gilchrist, who within seconds flicked off the bails.
9. Ben Cox Against Callum Macleod
In the ninth position Ben Cox, an English player, unintentionally stumped Callum MacLeod, a Scottish player. It took place when MacLeod tried to slightly hit the ball in order to take a single run, but the ball struck Cox’s pad and then rebounded to the stumps. The batter was completely astonished to see this since he had left the crease to run for a single but had already been stumped.
10. MS Dhoni Against Shaun Marsh
In the last position is when Shaun Marsh was stumped by Dhoni during the third ODI between Australia and India. It happened when Marsh stepped out of the crease on a wide delivery but failed to connect the ball with the bat. Due to his failure, Dhoni retrieved the ball and swiftly dislodged the bails. It took place in 2012 in Melbourne.
