When it comes to the thrilling game of cricket, wicket-keepers play a vital role. They are the unsung heroes who often make the difference between victory and defeat. From legendary names like Adam Gilchrist to modern-day stars like Jos Buttler, wicket-keepers have left an indelible mark on the game. In this blog post,
Take a look at the top 10 wicket-keepers in the world, celebrating their skills, achievements, and contributions to the sport.
10. Denesh Ramdin, West Indies
Denesh Ramdin ranks 10th among the greatest wicketkeepers in cricket. He played for the West Indies from 2005 to 2019. During his 15-year career, he played 284 international matches and made 483 dismissals, the most by any West Indies wicketkeeper. He is second only to the legendary Jeff Dujon in the list of West Indies’ best wicketkeepers.
Quinton De Kock is one of the best wicketkeepers in modern cricket and a strong opening batsman for South Africa in T20 and ODI matches. In 2021, he retired from Test cricket to focus more on white-ball cricket and his family.
As of now, De Kock has played 300 international matches and has been crucial in 564 dismissals, the second-highest by any South African wicketkeeper after Mark Boucher.
He is also an excellent batsman, having scored a total of 12,615 runs in Tests, ODIs, and T20s, with 28 centuries.
Format
Matches
Catch
Run Outs
Stumping
Tests
54
221
1
11
ODI*
155
209
2
17
T20I*
91
83
3
18
8. Jeff Dujon, West Indies
Jeff Dujon earned recognition as the best wicket-keeper in West Indies cricket history. He played when the famous West Indian fast bowlers were at their peak. During his career, he was responsible for 474 dismissals.
Format
Matches
Catch
Run Outs
Stumping
Tests
81
267
0
5
ODI
169
183
0
21
T20I
–
–
–
–
7. Brad Haddin, Australia
Brad Haddin was one of the best Australian wicket keepers, along with Rodney Marsh, Adam Gilchrist, and Ian Healy.
In the beginning of his international career, he played as a replacement for Adam Gilchrist. Over 14 years, he played in 226 international matches and was responsible for 474 dismissals.
Format
Matches
Catch
Run Outs
Stumping
Tests
66
262
0
8
ODI
126
170
8
11
T20I
34
17
2
6
6. Rodney Marsh, Australia
Rod Marsh was a famous wicket-keeper in cricket during the 1970s and 1980s. He played 96 test matches and 92 one-day internationals (ODIs) for Australia. In 188 international games, he was involved in 479 dismissals, which is very impressive.
Format
Matches
Catch
Run Outs
Stumping
Tests
96
343
1
12
ODI
92
120
0
4
T20I
–
–
–
–
5. Ian Healy, Australia
At number five on the list of all-time greats is Ian Healy, who played for Australia for 11 years. He is considered one of the best wicket-keepers ever and was the first to achieve 600 dismissals. Impressively, Healy reached this milestone in fewer than 300 matches. In total, he made 628 dismissals in 287 matches, which is an outstanding record. This record stood for a long time until Adam Gilchrist broke it.
Kumar Sangakkara was a talented left-handed batsman and wicket-keeper for Sri Lanka. Alongside Mahela Jayawardene, he played a crucial role in making Sri Lanka strong in batting.
Sangakkara holds the record for the most runs and centuries scored by a Sri Lankan batsman. He was also known as one of the world’s best wicket-keepers.
During his 15-year career, he scored 63 centuries and made 678 dismissals in 594 international matches.
Format
Matches
Catch
Run Outs
Stumping
Tests
134
182
4
20
ODI
404
402
20
99
T20I
56
25
5
20
3. MS Dhoni, India
MS Dhoni is considered one of the best cricketers ever. He led his teams to victory in three ICC tournaments, a record no other captain has achieved. Dhoni was known for his skill in finishing matches and for being incredibly quick when catching and stumping players. In his 538 international matches, he made 829 dismissals. He holds the world record for the fastest stumping, taking just 0.08 seconds. Dhoni ranks third among the greatest wicketkeepers in history.
Format
Matches
Catch
Run Outs
Stumping
Tests
90
256
3
38
ODI
350
321
22
123
T20I
98
57
8
34
2. Mark Boucher, South Africa
Mark Boucher has caught or stumped more players than any other wicketkeeper in cricket history. He achieved this record of 998 dismissals in 467 international matches during his career. He was one of the best wicketkeepers to ever play the game.
Format
Matches
Catch
Run Outs
Stumping
Tests
147
532
2
23
ODI
295
403
16
22
T20I
25
18
1
1
1. Adam Gilchrist, Australia
Adam Gilchrist is widely regarded as the best wicketkeeper in cricket history. He earned acclaim for his extraordinary skills behind the wickets and for his powerful batting at the beginning of One Day International (ODI) matches. Gilchrist also brought stability to the Australian Test Team when batting lower down the order. He’s praised as one of the finest left-handed players in cricket. Gilchrist backs his reputation as the best with a record of 905 dismissals in 396 matches.