India's fielding coach between August 2014 and November 2021, R Sridhar, has provided a peek into how MS Dhoni went about wicketkeeping during his Team India career. Sridhar, who joined the National Cricket Academy (now Centre of Excellence) in 2011, had a close view of Dhoni and disclosed that he didn't practice wicketkeeping for over a decade prior to his international retirement in 2020.

The fielding coach said that Dhoni, having his own wicketkeeping style, didn't wish to take the additional strain on his body and particularly on his finger. By 2007, he had become a regular in all formats. By late 2008, he had also become India's all-format skipper. 

The legendary coach said that Dhoni himself confirmed this. Still, it was not as if he did not practice at all. He religiously used to do reaction drills, which meant that he was always alert behind the stumps, particularly to spinners. 

Here is what Sridhar told cricket.com:

“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,” 

Read also: Afghanistan announces Rashid Khan-led 17-men squad for 2025 Asia Cup

It’s safe to assume that since his international retirement in 2020, Dhoni has probably upped his wicketkeeping practice. In order to keep himself sharp for the Indian Premier League, the wicketkeeper has to be on his toes, literally and figuratively. 

Dhoni’s wicketkeeping journey also highlights his remarkable ability to adapt and evolve with time. While others used relentless repetition to keep themselves up to the mark, Dhoni used his instincts and ability to read the game. His serenity behind the wickets, his fast thinking, and his unparalleled reflexes were a boon to India across all forms of the game.

What impressed even more was the way he could read the mind of the batsman and in most instances, make his stumpings look easy. This strange combination of mental quickness and physical quickness ensured that even without traditional training, Dhoni was amongst the most reliable wicketkeepers in world cricket.