Bangladesh v Sri Lanka

Watch: Litton Das pulls off MS Dhoni-esque no-look run out

by Wisden Staff March 9, 2024 - 11:52am 2 minute read

Watch: Wicketkeeper Litton Das pulled off a spectacular no-look run out of Dasun Shanaka similar to what MS Dhoni has successfully attempted previously on the last ball of Sri Lanka’s innings during the third T20I.

Shanaka walked out to bat at No.7 in the 17th over and immediately got going with two fours and a six in his first seven balls. The former skipper raced away to 19 in no time and looked to gather as many runs on the last ball of the innings sent down by Mustafizur Rahman.

Rahman bowled a back-of-a-length ball, which Shanaka played towards long-on for a single. He and Sadeera Samarawickrama decided to go for a tight second run to get as many runs on the board even as the fielder Rishad Hossain threw the ball to Das. The throw was not very accurate and Litton had to run across outside the off-stump to latch on.

Upon gathering the ball, he decided to flick the ball from behind his body without looking at the stumps and it resulted in a spectacular run out as it hit the target. Shanaka was caught short of his crease and had to depart as Sri Lanka’s innings ended on 174-7.

Litton’s no-look run out was reminiscent of several such dismissals inflicted by MS Dhoni in the past. The most famous instance of the former India captain pulling off a no-look run out was in 2016 when Dhoni flicked a throw by Dhawal Kulkarni behind him as his back faced the stumps against New Zealand. In the IPL last year, Dhoni effected another such run out to send Adam Zampa packing.

Coming to the Bangladesh-Sri Lanka game in Sylhet, the hosts were reduced to 32-6 after Nuwan Thusara became the third bowler to pick up a hat-trick in the last 24 hours. Earlier, Akeal Hosein and Deepti Sharma bagged three wickets in as many balls in the Pakistan Super League and the Women’s Premier League, respectively.