Ex-Indian fielding coach reveals why MS Dhoni stopped practicing wicketkeeping

MS Dhoni remains one of the most successful wicketkeepers in Indian cricket history. During his playing days, he was not only known for his wicketkeeping and batting skills but also for his leadership, guiding India to victories in every major ICC tournament. 

Even today, as an active player in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), his wicketkeeping style continues to stand out. Over the years, Dhoni has left fans surprised with his unconventional yet effective methods, while also holding several remarkable records to his name.

Now, former India fielding coach R Sridhar has made a surprising revelation about Dhoni in an exclusive chat with Cricket.com. Sridhar claimed that after playing the first eight or nine years of international cricket, Dhoni stopped doing traditional wicketkeeping practice. The reason, according to him, was Dhoni’s desire to reduce the physical toll on his body, especially his fingers.

“MS Dhoni didn’t practice wicketkeeping after playing 8 or 9 years of international cricket. While he was growing up and had yet to make a mark before 2007 or 2005, he worked a lot on his wicketkeeping skills. He had a very good technique of his own. It was very effective, and he had practiced a lot,” Sridhar said.

“He self-admittedly said that once he started playing 3 formats for India, the workload was so much that there was no need for him to practice more, as his fingers were taking a beating. That’s when he very smartly decreased the workload as a wicketkeeper; instead, he did some reaction drills, which kept him sharp and kept his gloves lightning fast. ‘Not practicing’ is not the right word, but he papered down because he knew the workload was very high,” he added.

Sridhar served as Team India’s fielding coach from 2014 to 2021. Since 2011, during his time at the National Cricket Academy (now Centre of Excellence), he closely observed the growth and evolution of the legendary cricketer.

After playing 538 international matches, Dhoni retired from international cricket on August 15, 2020. Yet, he remains an integral part of CSK in the IPL. In recent years, speculation has often arisen about his retirement from franchise cricket, but no official confirmation has been made. As things stand, he is most likely to return for IPL 2026.

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