In cricket, there are many top wicketkeepers in the world. These wicketkeepers are highly successful for their respected countries.
But in the earlier times, the wicketkeepers were not considered the premier players as batsmen and bowlers because of they couldn’t bat like a batsman.
A playing XI of a team consists of five batters, bowlers, and one wicketkeeper. Without awicketkeeper, the playing eleven of the team is also not complete.
Now the young keepers are trained with keeping and batting skills. This adds depth to the team’s batting department.
The job of a wicketkeeper is as important as the job of a fielder, bowlers, batters and captain.
The top wicketkeepers should have quick reflexes to take sharp diving catches behind the stumps. He should also affect quick stumping when the batsman is out of the batting crease.
In today’s times, the top wicketkeepers are also important as the batsman. The wicketkeepers can be promoted as the opener like Adam Gilchrist or Quinton De Kock.
The keeper-batsman can also play the limited-overs games as a finisher like Mahendra Singh Dhoni. They can also be useful in the middle order in Test matches.
With keeping and batting, another job of the wicketkeeper is to guide the bowlers behind the stumps. The wicketkeepers are the best judge of the wicket, and how the pitch is behaving. They also know which bowler will be useful in those conditions. MS Dhoni used to guide Kuldeep and Chahal well behind the stumps. But after the retirement of Mahi Bhai, the duo KULCHA hasn’t been that effective, and that is the main reason they haven’t cemented their place in India’s playing XI.
Today in this segment, we shall bring you the 10 top wicketkeepers in the world of cricket. Some of these are also good captains of the game. They are also an integral pa hurt of the franchise cricket league tournaments, which are ruling the cricketing world right now.
Top wicketkeeper in the world: Mark Boucher – This list starts with the legend of South African cricket, Mark Boucher. He is still considered as the top wicketkeeper in the world. He was also a spectacular batsman. Boucher was consistent as a batter and behind the stumps. His glovework was extraordinary, and his batting was simply superb in ODIs and Test matches. Boucher had the safest pair of hands. He has 998 dismissals from 476 international games, which is the most in cricket history. He could have reached a milestone of affecting a thousand dismissals. But an eye injury didn’t allow him to get that record. Still, Mark Boucher is the greatest keeper we have seen in our times.
Top wicketkeeper in the world: Adam Gilchrist – The Aussie wicketkeeper was the most dangerous batsman in the limited-overs format, and he even ruled the Test matches. Gilly and Hayden were the most dangerous pairs in ODI and T20I Cricket. These two opening batters of Australia had installed fears in the opposition camp. Gilchrist was the top wicketkeeper in the world, and he stands second in this list. He was exceptional behind the stumps. Gilchrist is still known for his batting, but few have seen his excellent wicket-keeping skills. He had the safest pairs of hands as the top wicketkeepers. Gilly has dismissed 905 batters in the world from just 306 matches of international cricket.
Adam Gilchrist had also captained Australia and in the Indian Premier League. Deccan Chargers won their maiden and only title in IPL 2009 season under Gilly’s leadership.
Top wicketkeeper in the world: Mahendra Singh Dhoni – He is known as MSD and Mahi by his fans, teammates, and friends. MS Dhoni is a well-known figure in international cricket and the most respected player in the world.
Mahi is the best captain, top wicketkeeper and the greatest finisher in the world of the fifty overs format. At five or six batting positions, MSD has guided India to many victories. He is the only wicketkeeper-batsman and captain to win all three ICC trophies. Mahi had quick reflexes behind the stumps he has taken some mind-blowing sharp catches. He has also affected the most stumping in international cricket. Mahi Bhai has involved 829 dismissals in just 506 international matches.
Top wicketkeeper in the world; Kumara Sangakkara – The Sri Lankan legend is fourth on this list. Sanga has had a superb career as the top wicketkeeper and he was also an extraordinary batsman for the Sri Lankan team. He is the only wicketkeeper-batsman to score four back-to-back centuries in ICC World Cup. He achieved this feat in the 2015 fifty overs world cup in Australia.
Kumara was also brilliant behind the stumps, and he never let his team down in any case. Sanga also holds the record of playing the most international matches by a wicketkeeper. He has played 595 international games for his national side, and in all, he has affected 678 dismissals to his name.
Top wicketkeepers in the world: Ian Healy – The Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy is number five on this list. Even the spin legend of the Aussie team, Shane Warne, also termed Ian Healy as the greatest wicketkeeper of all time in Australia. He was also the first wicketkeeper to have more than 600 dismissals.
Ian Healy made his debut in 1988 and played for the baggy green till 1999. Healy affected 628 dismissals in less than 300 international matches, which is also one record in cricket. This record is not broken still, and even now, no one has the skills to break this record.
Top wicketkeepers in the world: Rod Marsh – The sixth player in this is also an Aussie. Rod Marsh is also one of the top wicketkeepers. Many cricket fans do not often hear the name. But Rod Marsh also took fewer matches to dismiss more batters behind the stumps. After Ian Healy, Rod Marsh also took just 188 games to complete 479 dismissals. He took less than 200 matches to dismiss more batters in international cricket.
Top wicketkeepers in the world: Brad Haddin – Australia is the most successful country which has produced some excellent match winners. Brad Haddin is another Aussie who is seventh in this list.
The name of Brad Haddin came into the limelight after the retirement of Adam Gilchrist. Brad Haddin played for Australia in all three formats. But his career as a batter was never on song for Australia. Still, Haddin appeared in the Australian team for many games. Brad Haddin played 226 international matches for the Baggy Green, affecting 474 dismissals. His career started in 2001 and he retired from all forms in 2015, which was a world cup winning year.
Top wicketkeepers in the world: Jeff Dujon – West Indies cricket was at its peak during the 70s and 80s. Jeff Dujon, the eight-player in the list of played during the 80s era of International cricket.
Jeff Dujon had the record for the most dismissals in the history of West Indian cricket. In his career, which had spam of ten years, Jeff Dujon had played 250 international games, and he had affected 474 dismissals in the Test format and fifty overs games. Now Dujon works as a cricket commentator for various sports network channels.
Top wicketkeeper in the world: Dinesh Ramdin – The West Indian keeper-batsman, Dinesh Ramdin is also one of the top wicketkeeper. He is placed ninth in this list. Dinesh Ramdin has had a decent career. But now Shai Hope is the man who is taking the Windies cricket forward in the limited-overs format cricket.
Dinesh Ramdin had a career for 14 years. He made his debut in 2005, and he retired in 2019. The right-handed wicketkeeper-batsman had played 284 international games during these years. Ramdin was excellent behind the stumps. But not so as the batsman. He was a very inconsistent batter. Dinesh Ramdin had affected 468 dismissals in his career.
Top wicketkeeper in the world: Quinton De Kock – This list started with a South African wicketkeeper, and it will end with South Africa’s current and one of the top wicketkeepers, Quinton De Kock. Quinny is the current best wicketkeeper-batsman of South Africa, and he is the only keeper batsman from the current generation to be present in this list.
Quinton De Kock has impressed everyone with his batting skills at a very young age. He slammed three back-to-back centuries against India in 2014. He also opens the batting just like Adam Gilchrist of Australia did But Quinton De Kock also has the best wicket-keeping skills.
He is one of the promising wicketkeepers currrenrly because he has the safest pairs of hands behind the stumps, and he is an integral part of South Africa in hinall three formats and the Mumbai Indians franchise in the Indian Premier League. Overall, Quinton De Kock has played 234 international matches for South Africa, and he has the same number of dismissals as Dinesh Ramdin. But Quinton De Kock has picked those dismissals in fewer matches than the West Indian wicketkeeper. Quinton de Kock has picked up 468 dismissals in 234 games, while Ramdin has 464 dismissals in 284 international games.
