Ranking top 5 wicketkeepers in world cricket at the moment

The role of a wicketkeeper has been defined and redefined by several cricketers in different eras.

View : 621.8K

2 Min Read

Wriddhiman Saha
info

Wriddhiman Saha. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Wriddhiman Saha
Wriddhiman Saha. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Wicketkeepers are highly underrated in the gentleman’s game as while more weightage is given to a batsman or a bowler, there has been less curiosity regarding the role of the man behind the gloves.

However, it is one of the most prominent jobs as we all are aware of the phrase, ‘Catches win Matches’. One single mistake or missed stumping or missed catch can cost a team the whole match. The role of a wicketkeeper has been defined and redefined by several cricketers in different eras.

In modern-day cricket, more preference is given to a player who can do a fine job with both the willow and the gloves especially in white-ball cricket. There are a handful of players who have managed to balance their keeping and batting skills to emerge as greats of the game.

Ranking top 5 wicketkeepers in world cricket at the moment-

5. Tim Paine

Tim Paine
Tim Paine. (Photo Source: Getty Images)

Australia’s Test skipper Tim Paine is an exciting wicketkeeper-batsman who has started to find his feet in international cricket. On the back of stunning performances in the domestic circuit, Paine was added to the Australian side in 2009 for an ODI game against Scotland. However, the 36-year-old’s career was majorly plagued with injuries as he underwent multiple surgeries.

This meant Tim’s axing from the national side for a long period of time but he didn’t lose hope and kept shining brighter in domestic tournaments. Finally, after 7 years, Tim Paine started the second innings of his career as he got a call for the 2017-18 Ashes series at home after missing as many as 78 Tests for Australia, the joint-most with Brad Hogg for the Men in Yellow.

After that, there has been no looking back for the wicketkeeper as he has been doing a fine job for Australia behind the stumps and with the willow. The Tasmania-born is considered as one of the best wicketkeepers of the Australian side with 208 dismissals to his name in 105 innings including 195 catches and 13 stumpings.

4. BJ Watling

BJ Watling
BJ Watling. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

Bradley-John Watling is really quick behind the stumps and this was the main reason behind his inclusion in New Zealand’s ODI and T20I side in 2010 and 2009 respectively. His stunning and consistent showing both with the bat and gloves earned him a permanent place in the team especially in the purest format of the game.

Though BJ Watling’s limited-overs career hasn’t been smooth as he has consistently been in and out of the team, he has emerged as a regular face for New Zealand behind the stumps in Tests. The 35-year-old has featured in 134 games for New Zealand affecting 255 dismissals. This includes 255 catches and 8 stumpings while he also enjoys a stunning ratio of 1.902 in terms of dismissals/innings.

Watling also has some decent numbers under his belt with the willow in Test format that makes him a complete team player. In 70 Test matches, he has aggregated 3658 runs at an average of 38.51 including 8 hundreds and 18 fifties.

3. Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler. (Photo Source: Getty Images)

England’s Jos Buttler is one of the best wicketkeepers in the contemporary world. Apart from doing an excellent job behind the stumps, he is a successful aggressive batsman too who is capable of batting at any given position and scoring runs for his team. England’s limited-overs vice-captain Buttler made his way into the national team with a T20I game against India in 2011.

His consistent batting and fast glovework ensured that he rose through the ranks quickly and soon became a vital cog for England in the limited-overs format and replaced Craig Kieswetter as the regular man behind the stumps. Though the batsman is yet to prove his capabilities both as a batsman and wicketkeeper in the purest format.

While donning the gloves for England, Buttler has some terrific records to his name. He has a massive 329 dismissals to his name in 248 innings. This figure includes 292 catches and 37 stumpings, with 6 being the highest number of dismissals he has affected in a single game.

2. Wriddhiman Saha

Wriddhiman Saha
Wriddhiman Saha. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Over the years, Wriddhiman Saha has presented a remarkable show of his versatility with the gloves for India. He is considered as the best Indian wicketkeeper after the legendary MS Dhoni in modern-day cricket. Saha is a permanent member behind the gloves for India in the purest format of the game ever since Dhoni bid adieu to Test cricket in 2014.

Saha’s athleticism behind the stumps against both the fast bowlers and spinners have been lauded by many experts and critics and his records with the gloves speak for themselves. In 37 Test games, the 36-year-old has affected 103 dismissals including 92 catches and 11 stumpings.

The Indian gloveman collects nearly 96.9% of the deliveries that come in his way after taking an edge of the batsmen’s willow while his fielding ability ranges about +5.7. With not many years of his career left, Saha has been contributing as much as he can to the Indian team with both the gloves and willow.

1. Quinton de Kock

Quinton de Kock
Quinton de Kock. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Quinton de Kock is one of the most celebrated wicketkeeper-batsman for South Africa and hence occupies the top position in this marques list of top 5 wicketkeepers in world cricket at the moment. The left-hander is a live-wire on the field and is known for his exemplary performances with the gloves.

Though De Kock is just 27 years old, he captains South Africa across all three formats and is being hailed as one of the future greats. Quinton made his debut for SA in 2012 in a T20I game against New Zealand and succeeded AB de Villiers as the wicketkeeper of the side. The left-hander is known to play some aggressive shots and provides a solid base to his team while opening the innings.

As far as his wicketkeeping skills are concerned, the Gauteng-born has featured in 245 games affecting 427 dismissals. This includes 396 catches and 31 stumpings while he boasts of having a ratio of 1.742 for dismissals per innings. De Kock also keeps for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and has done a fine job over the years.

Get every cricket updates! Follow Us:

googletelegraminstagramwhatsappyoutubethreadstwitter

Download Our App

For a better experience: Download the CricTracker app from the IOS and Google Play Store