Watch, The Hundred | Buttler channels inner Dhoni to effect lightning stumping

08/07/2025

We often have deja vu moments in cricket, and Jos Buttler pulled off one during The Hundred game between Manchester Originals and Southern Brave. The former England captain pulled off a lightning stumping to take the viewers back in time, reminding them of MS Dhoni’s stunning act in the IPL.

‌Southern Brave started The Hundred Men’s Competition 2025 with a thrilling one-wicket win over Manchester Originals at Old Trafford in Manchester on Wednesday. After being put into bat, the home side rode on Phil Salt’s 41-ball 60 to post 131/4 in their quota of hundred balls.

The Manchester captain hit two sixes and four fours to top score in the contest, while Mark Chapman’s unbeaten cameo of 22 off 12 balls took the side past the 130-run mark. Tymal Mills was the pick among the Brave bowlers with a spell of 3/22 in 20 balls.

In reply, Brave got past the line in the penultimate ball after losing nine batters, with Jason Roy scoring four fours and a six to make 30 off 22 balls. Craig Overton’s unbeaten eight-ball 18 saw them make a stunning comeback to start the tournament with a win.

During the game, Jos Buttler came up with a stunning effort behind the stumps that reminded the cricketing world of MS Dhoni. And Noor Ahmad being the bowler in this instance, added to the similarity factor.

Coming from over the wicket in the third ball of the 11th set, the left-arm wrist spinner from Afghanistan bowled a wrong one that spun away from James Coles after pitching on a length on off stump. The batter lost his balance as he tried in vain to work the ball down the leg side for a single.

Buttler was ready as he collected the ball and whipped the bails off in a flash to catch Coles short of his crease. The batter was stunned as he started his walk back, but the stumping drew parallels with one of the greatest ever wicketkeepers in the modern-day game.

The cricketing world was quickly reminded of MS Dhoni, who has effected countless lightning stumpings during his career. But his stumping of Suryakumar Yadav off Noor’s bowling, in the recently concluded season of the Indian Premier League, stood out as a striking resemblance.

That reminds of something!