The reason why MS Dhoni doesn't practice wicket-keeping in the nets

Former Indian captain, MS Dhoni is one of the most effective men behind the stumps. He is by far the best wicketkeeper India has ever produced. His unorthodox wicket-keeping style has evoked a lot of discussion over the years, but none questioned his abilities. He doesn’t follow the coaching manual and has his own technique. His style of catching the ball is something the coaches ask young cricketers to avoid.

An undebatable fact is his stumping speed, he is next to none when it comes to the swiftness to effect stumpings in international cricket. The Ranchi stumper, known for his quick reflexes behind the wickets, has 172 stumpings, 33 more than his nearest rival Kumar Sangakkara. As a batsman, you know that you are in some serious trouble once you cross the ‘Lakshman Rekha (crease)’ when it is MS behind the sticks. It just takes a blink of an eye and the bails are off.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni often puzzles the batsmen with his uncanny keeping and stumpings. He is so quick and confident about his skills that you don’t need a second look when he appeals with confidence. The most successful Indian captain has 768 scalps to his name so far. Dhoni is third on the list of most dismissals affected by a wicketkeeper behind Mark Boucher (998) and Adam Gilchrist (905).

MSD speaks about wicketkeeping

Dhoni on Friday (January 19) talked about his “unorthodox keeping style” that makes him one of the most effective men behind the wickets in world cricket.

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper revealed that he has rarely kept wickets in net sessions even during the Indian Premier League (IPL). CSK coach, Stephen Fleming also said that he had never seen MS keep wickets at the nets throughout his 8-year association with CSK.

“I think it’s because of my unorthodox keeping style. Stephen Fleming always says that he has never seen me keep wickets in net sessions in his nine years of IPL coaching. I think a lot of it needs to be done in the mind,” said the 36-year-old.

“Keepers don’t really need a lot of catching. I have seen over-exaggeration from some keepers. They start going on the floor, ‘very frog style’ of keeping and ‘jaw is parallel to the floor’. What is a keeper supposed to do? You can drop 100 balls, but whenever there is a catch you take it and whenever there is a stumping opportunity, you take it. That’s what’s needed. You don’t want a very good keeper who is not consistent. You want a very bad keeper who keeps fumbling, but takes catches, effects stumping and helps captain set the right field,” he added.