There have been a number of truly great wicket Keepers that have played the sport of cricket. Cricket has been played for more than 140 years and the number of wicket keepers that have made an impact on the sport is Massive. There have been 10 nations which have played cricket at the highest level. There have been wicket keepers that have done well at the test cricket level and there are some that have done well at the in both Test Cricket and ODI Cricket.
Who are the greatest wicket keepers of all time?
The top five greatest wicket keepers in cricket history are Adam Gilchrist, Mark Boucher, MS Dhoni, Kumar Sangakkara, and Ian Healy. Gilchrist's dual dominance in Test and ODI cricket, Boucher's record-breaking catch tally, Dhoni's lightning-fast stumping, Sangakkara's exceptional batting alongside keeping, and Healy's pre-Gilchrist era records solidify their places in cricket lore.
Read below to know more about the best wicket keepers of all time:
1) Adam Gilchrist
The greatest wicket keeper of all time is Adam Gilchrist of Australia. He is the wicket keeper that has made the biggest impact in both test and ODI Cricket. He is also one of the most destructive batters that has played for Australia. Gilchrist has played 96 Test Matches for Australia and in those Matches he has taken 379 Catches that means an average of almost 4 Catches per match. He has also effected 37 Stumpings in Test Cricket as well. In ODI Cricket he played 287 Matches for Australia and he has taken 417 Catches and effected 55 Stumpings. He was the role model for so many young wicket keepers. Adam Gilchrist had a total of 905 dismissals in 396 international matches he played for Australia.
Find out here Mark Boucher vs Adam Gilchrist Comparison
2) Mark Boucher
Mark Boucher has to be number 2 because there has not been a wicket keeper who has taken more Catches in cricket history. He was not able to create that big of an impact as Adam Gilchrist therefore he is at number 2. He has played 147 Test Matches for South Africa. In those Matches he has taken 532 Catches which is the most in history of Test Cricket. He also effected 23 Stumpings in Test Cricket. He was equally prolific in ODI Cricket as in the 295 Matches that he played in , he took 403 Catches and effected 22 Stumpings. In total he played 467 Matches for South Africa and he had a total of 998 dismissals in international cricket.
Also Read | Mark Boucher vs MS Dhoni Comparison
3) MS Dhoni
At number 3 is the greatest Indian wicket keeper of all time and the greatest captain to ever be wicket keeper in history. He is number 3 on this list because the Top 2 were simply sensational. He holds the record for the fastest stumping in history at a mind blowing 0.08 seconds. He played 90 Test Matches for India in which he took 256 Catches and he effected 38 Stumpings. He was even better in ODI Cricket as in the 350 Matches that he played in he took 321 Catches. More importantly he effected a mind blowing 123 Stumpings in ODIs which is a record. He has a total of 829 Dismissals as a wicket keeper in the 538 International Matches he has played. He has also made 10773 runs in ODIs at an average of over 50.
Find out here MS Dhoni vs Kumar Sangakkara Stats Analysis
4) Kumar Sangakkara
The best Sri Lankan wicket keeper of all time and the best batter in this illustrious list. Kumar Sangakkara has made over 26,500 international runs with 63 International hundreds. He was also a great Wicket Keeper which tells everyone as to how incredible he was. He played 134 Test Matches for Sri Lanka in which he took 182 Catches and he effected 20 Stumpings. It was in the ODI format where he became one of the greatest wicket keepers of all time. He played 404 ODI Matches for Sri Lanka. He took 402 Catches in his career and he also effected a very impressive 99 Stumpings in ODIs. He has a total of 678 dismissals in international cricket in the 594 international Matches he has played.
5) Ian Healy
The second Australia wicket keeper in this list after Adam Gilchrist. Before there was Adam Gilchrist it was Ian Healy who held all the wicket keeping records for Australian cricket. He played 119 Test Matches for Australia and he took 366 Catches as a wicket keeper and he also affected 29 Stumpings. In the 168 ODIs he played for Australia he took 194 Catches and he had 39 Stumpings to his name. Therefore he had a total of 628 dismissals in international cricket in 287 Matches.
Also Read | Adam Gilchrist vs Kumar Sangakkara Comparison
