0.08 seconds. That is the number that defines the fastest stumping in cricket history.
No batter alive can react that quickly. No camera can catch it in real time.
You only know it happened when the replay slows things down and you see Dhoni’s gloves already moving before most people registered that the ball had passed the bat.
Fastest Stumping in Cricket History
This list covers all 10 fastest stumpings ever recorded. Each entry has the timing, the match, and the keeper who did it. No padding. Just the records.
What Counts as a Stumping?
A stumping happens when a batter steps outside the crease to play a shot and misses.
The wicketkeeper catches the ball and removes the bails before the batter can get back behind the line.
The clock starts when the ball hits the keeper’s gloves. It stops when the bails come off.
Every millisecond in between is where the skill lives.
Top 10 Fastest Stumping in Cricket History
| Rank | Wicketkeeper | Country | Time | Batter Dismissed | Format | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MS Dhoni | India | 0.08s | Keemo Paul | ODI | 2018 |
| 2 | MS Dhoni | India | 0.09s | Mitchell Marsh | T20I | 2012 |
| 3 | Ben Cox | England | 0.10s | Callum McLeod | T20 Blast | 2018 |
| 4 | MS Dhoni | India | 0.10s | Shubman Gill | IPL Final | 2023 |
| 5 | Brendon McCullum | New Zealand | 0.11s | Ricky Ponting | World Cup | 2011 |
| 6 | MS Dhoni | India | 0.12s | Suryakumar Yadav | IPL | 2025 |
| 7 | Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | 0.13s | Jimmy Maher | VB Series | 2003 |
| 8 | Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | ~0.13s | Brian Lara | World Cup | 2007 |
| 9 | Mark Boucher | South Africa | ~0.14s | Marwan Atapattu | Bilateral | 2006 |
| 10 | Adam Gilchrist | Australia | ~0.14–0.15s | Craig McMillan | Bilateral | 2005 |
The Records, One by One
1. MS Dhoni – 0.08s | India vs West Indies ODI, 2018
Dhoni stumped Keemo Paul in 0.08 seconds. The broadcast team replayed it three times before viewers could follow it.
At that speed, there is no reaction. There is only preparation.
This is the fastest stumping in cricket history, and it has not been beaten since.
2. MS Dhoni – 0.09s | India vs Australia T20I, 2012
Six years before his record, Dhoni was already the fastest keeper alive.
He stumped Mitchell Marsh in 0.09 seconds in a T20I against Australia.
This is the 2nd fastest stumping in cricket history, and it also belongs to him.
The gap between first and second is one-hundredth of a second.
3. Ben Cox – 0.10s | T20 Blast, England, 2018
Most cricket fans will not recognise this name. That is the point.
Ben Cox, keeping for Worcestershire in the domestic T20 Blast, stumped Callum McLeod in 0.10 seconds.
No international cap required. His hands were faster than almost every Test keeper who has ever played.
4. MS Dhoni – 0.10s | IPL Final, CSK vs GT, 2023
Dhoni was 42. The match was an IPL final. The batter was Shubman Gill.
Gone in 0.10 seconds.
Chennai Super Kings won the title. This stumping will be replayed whenever people argue about whether Dhoni belonged at the crease that late in his career. He did.
5. Brendon McCullum – 0.11s | ICC World Cup, 2011
Ricky Ponting stepping out for a big shot in a World Cup. Most keepers would collect and hope. McCullum collected and acted.
He stumped Ponting in 0.11 seconds. The match pressure, the stage, the batter involved — this stumping carries more weight than its position on the list suggests.
6. MS Dhoni – 0.12s | IPL 2025, CSK vs MI
Suryakumar Yadav is one of the most destructive T20 batters alive. He steps out often. He reads bowlers fast. None of that mattered.
Dhoni, at 43 or 44, stumped him in 0.12 seconds. Four entries across 13 years. The hands did not change.
7. Kumar Sangakkara – 0.13s | VB Series, Australia, 2003
Sangakkara gave up the gloves before most fans got to see his best keeping.
This 2003 stumping of Jimmy Maher in Australia, at 0.13 seconds, is a reminder of what he left behind.
He was a top-order batter and a world-class keeper at the same time. That combination rarely exists.
8. Kumar Sangakkara – ~0.13s | ICC World Cup, 2007
The batter this time was Brian Lara.
A World Cup match. One of the greatest batters in history. Stumped in approximately 0.13 seconds.
Sangakkara’s second entry on this list comes with a bigger name on the other end.
9. Mark Boucher – ~0.14s | Bilateral Series, 2006
Mark Boucher holds the all-time record for most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in Tests.
His 0.14-second stumping of Marwan Atapattu in 2006 is one entry in a career full of them.
Fast, clean, and typically efficient.
10. Adam Gilchrist – ~0.14–0.15s | Bilateral Series, 2005
Adam Gilchrist changed what it meant to keep wicket. He batted like a top-order batter from number seven and kept at the highest level across all formats for over a decade.
His stumping of Craig McMillan in 2005 sits at 0.14–0.15 seconds. It rounds out a list dominated by keepers who were also match-winners with the bat.
What Separates These Ten from Everyone Else?
The difference between a good stumping and a record-breaking one is rarely about the hands alone. Look at this list, and three things stand out.
- Positioning before the ball arrives. Every keeper here was already in the right spot. When the ball came, the movement was minimal. Less movement means faster execution.
- Reading the batter. The fastest stumpings happened because the keeper expected the batter to leave the crease. Dhoni, Sangakkara, McCullum — all of them were watching footwork, not just the ball.
- Performing when it mattered. Six of these ten stumpings came in knockout matches, World Cups, or finals. The pressure did not cost them time. For some, it seemed to sharpen them.
FAQs
- What is the fastest stumping ever recorded in cricket?
MS Dhoni stumped Keemo Paul in 0.08 seconds during an ODI between India and the West Indies in 2018. It is the fastest stumping in cricket history.
- Who holds the 2nd fastest stumping in cricket history?
MS Dhoni again, stumping Mitchell Marsh in 0.09 seconds in a T20I against Australia in 2012.
- How many times does Dhoni appear in the top 10?
Four times: 0.08s (2018), 0.09s (2012), 0.10s (2023 IPL Final), and 0.12s (2025 IPL). No other keeper appears more than twice.
- Does any non-international player feature in this list?
Yes. Ben Cox of Worcestershire stumped Callum McLeod in 0.10 seconds in the 2018 T20 Blast. He is equal third on the all-time list despite never playing international cricket.
- What is the difference between the fastest and slowest time on this list?
Just 0.07 seconds separates Dhoni’s record of 0.08s and Gilchrist’s 0.14–0.15s. At this level of skill, the margins are tiny.
- Was Dhoni still performing elite stumpings in his 40s?
Yes. His 2023 IPL Final stumping (0.10s) came at age 42. His 2025 IPL stumping (0.12s) came at 43 or 44. Both rank in the global top 10.
Conclusion:
The fastest stumping in cricket history is 0.08 seconds.
Dhoni set it in 2018 and has come close to it multiple times since, at ages most keepers would not still be playing at.
The rest of this list features some of the best wicketkeeper-batters the game has seen.
Gilchrist, Sangakkara, Boucher, McCullum. They each belong here.
But the gap between first and tenth is only 0.07 seconds. At this level, everything is close.
Except for Dhoni. He is still in a different column.
Also Check:
- Fastest Century in T20 World Cup History
- Fastest 50 in T20 World Cup History
- Fastest 100 in IPL
- Fastest 50 in T20I International Cricket
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