The Best Wicketkeeper In The World

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Cricket is often termed as a game of Batter and Bowler. Usually, the World does not consider one more aspect of the game that has the ability to turn a match upside down i.e. Wicketkeeping.

Being a Wicket Keeper is one of the most important and crucial parts of the squad. Not only keepers are useful for taking catches, stumping, and saving byes but they are also helpful for the bowlers to guide them in the best possible way to bowl.

It is a specialist role and an extremely significant position that can affect a game massively. Ever since cricket became professional, expectations on wicketkeepers have risen far beyond the player being simply a good ‘stopper’.

We not only expect them to perform well behind the stumps, but we also want them to contribute with the bat.

Also, the efforts of a wicketkeeper are often overlooked, but the collective skills of bat and gloves can make a real difference to the outcome of matches, no matter the format.

In this post, we will learn about a few greatest wicketkeepers of all time who were known for their all-round performances.

1) Mark Boucher (South Africa)

Mark Boucher is the only South African on the list of Elite Best Wicket Keeper in the world and that too is on the top of the list.

Undoubtedly and unarguably the best wicketkeeper of all time, Mark Boucher has the most dismissals in Test cricket.

He played for almost 20 years for his national side and remained the best wicketkeeper of all times. Boucher played 147 Tests, 295 ODIs, and 25 T20Is in his career and scored over 10,000 runs.

Tests – 557 Dismissals

ODIs – 441 Dismissals

T20Is – 20 Dismissals

2) Adam Gilchrist (Australia)

Adam Gilchrist is widely considered the best Left-hand wicketkeeper in the world. Gilchrist had a remarkable career of almost 12 years.

He started and ended his career on a high note. He received many international awards and recognition for his contribution to Australian Cricket. Adam Gilchrist played 96 Tests, 287 ODIs, and 13 T20Is in his career and scored more than 15,000 runs.

Tests – 420 Dismissals

ODIs – 486 Dismissals

T20Is – 18 Dismissals

3) MS Dhoni (India)

MS Dhoni is unarguably the most successful Wicket Keeper batter in the history of Cricket.

Dhoni has led India to 3 ICC Trophies from behind the stumps. He has groomed many players by guiding them as a wicketkeeper and as a captain.

Dhoni is also considered the best finisher in the world who can thrash any bowling lineup in the slog overs. He has played 80 Tests, 350 ODIs, and 98 T20Is in his career and scored more than 17,000 runs.

Tests – 297 Dismissals

ODIs – 466 Dismissals

T20Is – 99 Dismissals

4) Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)

Sri Lanka’s best batter of all time Kumar Sangakkara is also the country’s Best Wicket Keeper without any doubt.

Sangakkara is undoubtedly the best Wicket Keeper batter in the world in the history of cricket. Sangakkara also led Sri Lanka for many years in his career.

He has more than 27,000 international runs in 134 Tests, 404 ODIs, and 56 T20Is he played for Sri Lanka.

Tests – 206 Dismissals

ODIs – 521 Dismissals

T20Is – 50 Dismissals

5) Ian Healy (Australia)

Another Australian Wicket Keeper in the list of Elite Wicket Keepers in the history of Cricket.

Healy was a part of the Australian squad for almost 11 years from 1988 to 1999. Along with the wicket-keeping skills, Healy was also known for his batting.

He had scored more than 6000 runs in his career. Healy played 119 Tests and 168 ODIs for Australia.

Tests – 396 Dismissals

ODIs – 236 Dismissals

6) Brendon McCullum (New Zealand)

One of the most aggressive batters in the world Brendon McCullum is also considered one of the Top wicket keepers in the history of Cricket.

McCullum led New Zealand for a long time from behind the stumps. He started off his international career in 2002 and played for almost 14 years for his national side. He played 101 Tests, 260 ODIs, and 71 T20Is for New Zealand.

Tests – 209 Dismissals

ODIs – 277 Dismissals

T20Is – 44 Dismissals

7) Brad Haddin (Australia)

Australian Wicket Keeper Brad Haddin started off his international career in 2001. He played all the formats for the national side and showed his supremacy to the world.

Haddin also holds the record for most dismissals in a Test series by an Australian Wicket Keeper. He was also the part of Australian squad in the ICC World Cup in 2011 and 2015. Haddin has played 66 Tests, 126 ODIs, and 34 T20Is in his career.

Tests – 270 Dismissals

ODIs – 189 Dismissals

T20Is – 25 Dismissals

8) Denesh Ramdin (West Indies)

Denesh Ramdin is one of the top wicketkeepers in cricket that the world has witnessed.

Ramdin began his career in 2005 and played 74 tests, 139 ODI, and 71 T20I matches for the national side.

Along with the Gloves, Ramdin also played a crucial as a batter in the middle order for around 11 years. He is often compared with the legendary West Indian Wicket Keeper Jeff Dujon.

Tests – 218 Dismissals

ODIs – 197 Dismissals

T20Is – 68 Dismissals