We frequently pay attention to which players are batters, bowlers and fielders, but we often overlook the wicketkeeper, the man responsible for maintaining order behind the batting crease. The best wicketkeeper in the world must be a keen observer who does not let their attention break throughout the game. Behind the wickets, a keeper must be alert, agile, and quick to react. Thus, every team’s starting XI must include a capable wicketkeeper. In a similar light, here are the three best wicketkeeper-batters of all time.
3. Adam Gilchrist, Australia
Adam Gilchrist is regarded as one of, if not the most destructive wicketkeeper-batsman of all time, with strike rates of 81.98 in tests, 96.94 in ODIs, and 141 in T20Is. With his superb batsmanship and deft handling behind the stumps, he helped Australia win numerous matches in all formats. Aside from combating the illusions of the magician dubbed Warne, Gilchrist had to maintain one of the most lethal pace batteries ever, composed of McGrath, Lee, and Gillespie. He averaged 47.60 and 35.89 in the Tests and ODIs and was the vice-captain for the Aussies across all formats, captaining the side in the absence of the first-choice captains.
2. MS Dhoni, India
Three tasks, one person: batting, keeping, and captaining – MS Dhoni, the World Cup-winning India captain, is perhaps the best keeper-batsman India has ever had. Nonetheless, he affects 244 catches and 85 stumpings in 262 ODIs, averaging over 52. His white-ball average of 38 might be viewed as a touch below average, but despite playing on largely turning sub-continental wickets, he handled 256 catches and had a hand in 38 stumpings. Dhoni still holds the record for the highest score by a wicketkeeper in ODIs with a score of 183* against Sri Lanka.
1. Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lanka
Kumar Sangakkara, one of the most educated and refined players of his time, is arguably the best wicketkeeper-batter of all time. The Sri Lankan averages a remarkable 58 in the longest format on the game and a stellar 41.98 in one-day internationals. He has scored more than 14,000 runs in ODIs for Sri Lanka. Sangakkara grabbed 178 catches behind the wickets and produced 20 stumpings before quitting as a keeper after saying farewell to glovework in Tests. He is a well-known cricketer of his generation and serves as an excellent example for young people, both in terms of his batting and wicketkeeping.