Wicketkeeping is a special function in the game of cricket. One of the toughest roles on the cricket field is that of a wicketkeeper. Every team wants a quality wicketkeeper who can play an influential role in their team’s success.
A wicketkeeper’s quick stumping, diving catch, or save down the leg side all have the potential to turn the outcome of a match. There have been many wicketkeepers in the history of the game who have also been great batsmen. We meet some of the best wicketkeepers in the world who have impressed cricket fans with their brilliant wicketkeeping skills.
Best Wicket Keepers Of All Time
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 Wicket Keeper at all times. Boucher played 147 Tests, 295 ODIs, and 25 T20Is in his career and scored over 10,000 runs.
Adam Gilchrist (Australia)
Topping the list is Adam Gilchrist who is regarded as the best wicketkeeper in the game of cricket till date because of his amazing records. Gilchrist was not only secure as a home behind the wickets, but was also explosive in the top order in ODIs and provided much-needed stability to the lower order of the Australian Test team.
MS Dhoni (India)
Mahendra Singh Dhoni helped Team India do things that no one else could. He is regarded as the best captain for his country and of course a dynamic batsman as well.
MS Dhoni has produced many match winning performances throughout his career. He made his ODI debut in 2004 and his Test debut in 2005. In ODIs, he had 398 dismissals to his credit, and in Test matches he dismissed 298 batsmen. The former Indian captain has scored 10 ODI centuries and 61 fifties, while in red-ball cricket he has scored 6 centuries and 33 fifties.
Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)
Sangakkara is one of the best wicketkeepers of the Sri Lankan cricket team. Talking about his wicketkeeping, he has 182 catches and 20 stumpings in Tests and 402 catches and 99 stumpings in ODIs, which does justice to his abilities behind the stumps. Sangakkara is the second highest scorer in ODI history and most dismissals in ODIs by a wicket-keeper. He lead Sri Lanka to several World Cup finals making him an exceptional captain.
Ian Healy (Australia)
Ian Healy, also known as ‘The Heels’ because of his stupendous performances in his Test career, has been the worst victim in the history of Test cricket. He achieved 395 dismissals in Test cricket with 366 catches and 29 stumpings, the highest number of Test dismissals in the history of cricket. In ODIs, Healy took 233 dismissals in 168 matches with 194 catches and 39 stumpings.
Quinton De Kock (South Africa)
De Kock is one of the best wicket-keeper batsmen in the world. He usually opens the innings with the bat and is very quick behind the stumps as well. De Kock took some brilliant diving catches behind the stumps. De Kock is still very young and has made a name for himself as a wicket-keeper around the world and has taken 468 dismissals in his 284 international games so far.
Rodney Marsh or Rod Marsh (Australia)
Another Australian in the list is Rod Marsh with 479 dismissals in his entire international career. Remarkably, Rod Marsh achieved the feat in only 188 matches, not only 38 fewer than Haddin, but also fewer than 200 matches played by anyone on this list, and more often. Being outside has been part of it.
Brad Haddin (Australia)
Brad Haddin was one of the best Australian wicketkeepers along with players like Rodney Marsh, Adam Gilchrist and Ian Healy. He played as a replacement for Adam Gilchrist in his early days in international cricket. His career spanned 14 years, in which he played 226 international matches and dismissed 474 players.
Jeff Dujon (West Indies)
Jeff Dujon is another West Indian wicket-keeper in the list of top wicket-keepers in the world. Dujon had an interesting career during the 1980s with a long wait to enter the national team. However, when he got the opportunity, he grabbed it with both hands. He played a key role in the lower middle order for the West Indies. Dujon played 81 Tests and 169 ODIs for the West Indies in a career spanning 10 years.
Denesh Ramdin (West Indies)
A very capable wicket-keeper for the West Indies for many years, Denesh Ramdin played with a more varied attack than some of his predecessors. The fast bowling batteries of the past were drained but Ramdin’s record against seam and spin is impressive.
Ramdin played 284 matches for the Windies across three cricket formats. During this he hunted 468. At a time when West Indies cricket was in a state of transition with many changes, Denesh Ramdin was a consistent figure in the side and one of the most reliable wicket-keepers his team ever had.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who holds the record for fastest stumping in world cricket?
MS Dhoni holds the world’s fastest stumping record in cricket. He stumped out Keemo Paul of the West Indies in only 0.08 seconds.
Who is the first wicketkeeper to reach the 600 dismissal milestone?
Ian Healy, The Former Australian Wicketkeeper, Was The First Wicketkeeper To Reach 600 Dismissals.
Who has the highest number of dismissals as a wicketkeeper?
Mark Boucher Has The Highest Number Of Dismissals As Wicketkeeper Accounting For 998 Scalps.
Who has the most dismissals in T20 internationals?
MS Dhoni holds the record for most dismissals (91) in T20 internationals, with 57 catches and 34 stumpings.
