WATCH: Young wicketkeeper stuns fans with ‘Thala’-like brilliance, has CSK found MS Dhoni’s successor?

CSK rising wicketkeeper-batter Urvil Patel offered a glimpse of the future with an outstanding performance behind the stumps, evoking memories of the legendary MS Dhoni’s brilliance

New Delhi: Chennai Super Kings young wicketkeeper-batter Urvil Patel offered a glimpse of the future with an outstanding performance behind the stumps, evoking memories of the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s brilliance.

In a clip shared on his Instagram, 27-year-old Urvil showcased a lightning-fast stumping that completely surprised the batter. As the ball zipped past the edge, the batter’s back foot lifted just for an instant, and Urvil grabbed the moment. In true Dhoni fashion, he dislodged the bails in a flash, leaving spectators amazed.

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The clip, captioned “Didn’t learn from books… Learnt from the legend himself — Thala “, quickly went viral. Fans flooded the comments section praising the youngster’s reflexes, and even CSK’s official handle joined in, commenting, “Top work!”.

CSK fans have found a ray of hope in Urvil

As there have been numerous speculations over MS Dhoni’s return for another IPL season, CSK fans have already found a ray of hope in Urvil, a youngster who appears to be upholding Dhoni’s legacy with remarkable confidence.

Urvil has been in red-hot form with the bat. Playing for Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy against Bengal at Eden Gardens, he led from the front when his team was in trouble. Chasing a challenging target of 327, Gujarat were at a disappointing position (50/3) when Urvil walked into bat at number three.

While wickets kept falling at regular intervals, the young wicketkeeper stayed composed on the crease.

Urvil smashed a 96-ball century

He battled his way to a hard-fought century off 96 deliveries, bringing up the milestone with a classy drive through the covers. Urvil’s brilliant knock of 109 from 124 deliveries, included 14 boundaries and 2 sixes, which helped Gujarat renewed belief. He also forged a crucial 100-run partnership with Jaymeet (34), which momentarily kept their hopes of an improbable chase alive.

Up against a formidable Bengal attack comprising Mohammed Shami, Akashdeep, Abhishek Porel, and Shahbaz Ahmed, Urvil tackled all the pacers confidently and handled the spinners with ease. However, after he retired hurt with cramps, Gujarat’s fight quickly faded as they were bowled out for 185, giving Bengal a 141-run victory.

Urvil’s innings emerged as the standout performance of the match

Despite the loss, Urvil’s innings emerged as the standout performance of the match. It highlighted not just his composure and range of strokes but also his knack for thriving under pressure, a trait that will benefit him on bigger stages ahead.

The 26-year-old has already made a name for himself in T20 cricket, holding the record for the fastest century by an Indian in the format a 28-ball hundred against Tripura in 2024. Signed by CSK as a replacement for Vansh Bedi in IPL 2025, Urvil has featured in three matches so far, scoring 68 runs. With such promising performances, he is quickly establishing himself as one of the most exciting young talents in the CSK camp.