England wicket-keeper Sam Billings pulled off a stunning piece of run out that was reminiscent of MS Dhoni during an ILT20 encounter. Joe Denly defended a delivery off Benny Howell without much difficulty but in the aftermath of playing the shot, he took a step outside his crease in anticipation of a single. Billings was on to the ball in a flash and a deft backhand flick resulted in a beautiful run out in the match. It was an extremely close affair but the TV replays showed how good the effort was.
There was a slight confusion among the commentators on whether the dismissal will be considered to be a run out or a stumping. According to the on-air experts, it was ultimately considered to be a run out as Denly showed his intention to take a run and that is why he took a step forward.
The attempt drew comparisons with former Indian cricket team skipper MS Dhoni who was well known for his backhand flicks which produced some of the best run outs of all time.
The run out turned out to be an important moment in the game as Billings' Desert Vipers defeated Sharjah Warriors by 22 runs. Desert Vipers batted first in the T20 encounter and posted a competitive total of 148 with Billings chipping in with a 23-ball-27 on a tricky wicket.
In response, Sharjah Warriors were off to a good start and after eight overs, they were placed comfortably on 50 for the loss of two wickets. However, they keep losing wickets from that crucial juncture and with the asking rate never going down, they finished the innings at 126 for 8.