When we talk of cricket, the battle between bat and ball gets everyone’s attention while specialized skills like wicket-keeping tend to remain underrated. Noted as the “thankless job” in the game, it is a popular notion amongst glovesmen is the less the talk around their performance is a job well done. Alongside keeping the stumps, a wicket-keeper is also responsible for field adjustments and advising the skippers when it comes to DRS calls for lbw and caught behind. No wonder, the contribution of a wicket-keeper is of utmost significance on the field. The likes of Adam Gilchrist, Kumar Sangakkara, Brendon McCullum and MS Dhoni have ruled the game as wicket-keeper batters and have popularized the skillset amongst cricket aficionados in modern-day cricket. In this article, we take a look at the top 5 best wicketkeepers in cricket at present.
Ben Foakes
Widely regarded as the best wicket-keeper of his generation when it comes to technique, Foakes donned the three lions crest as the first choice in 2018. A natural talent behind the stumps, Foakes mostly remained behind Buttler and Bairstow in the race for a place in the English side, owing to the latter’s batting prowess. Since his debut, Foakes has played 13 Tests with 33 catches and 5 stumpings. Foakes smashed a brilliant century on debut against Sri Lanka. His only ODI match came against Ireland when he replaced Sam Billings in the one-off 50-over game.
Jos Buttler
Without any doubt, Jos Buttler emerged as one of the best cricketers of the present decade and has been a formidable force in the limited-overs format. A monstrous hitter with a huge array of unconventional shots and a clinical wicket-keeper, his ability to turn the tide earned him the tag of a gamechanger. In 296 international games, Buttler took 351 catches and 44 stumpings. In addition, in the list of wicket-keepers with most dismissals, Butter stands at 17th place and he is the 2nd English cricketer only behind Alec Stewart.
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Mohammed Rizwan
The 2nd ranked ICC T20I batter, Rizwan consolidated his place in the Pakistan team after a string of stupendous performances across all formats. Only the second Pakistan cricketer and the 5th wicket-keeper batter to hit a ton in T20I, Rizwan balanced both batting and keeping consistently. In 125 international appearances, he has taken 130 catches alongside 11 stumpings.
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Quinton de Kock
The Proteas opener surpassed Adam Gilchrist to be the fastest wicket-keeper to effect 200 dismissals in Tests. Incredibly agile behind the stumps, his flamboyance with the willow often overshadows his wicketkeeping prowess. However, de Kock recently quit Tests to focus more on his limited-overs career. In 54 Tests, the South African cricketer has taken 221 catches and 11 stumpings. While in 129 ODIs, he added 174 catches and 11 stumpings to his tally.
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Rishabh Pant
The Delhi cricketer rose up the ranks as a T20 prodigy and achieved stellar access in red-ball cricket. Touted by pundits, as the X factor of Indian cricket, he was labeled as Dhoni’s successor across all formats. Over the years, Pant strengthened his wicket-keeping skills to be the first-choice wicket-keeper in Tests and ODIs. In India vs Australia Adelaide Test in 2018, Pant equaled A B de Villiers and Russell’s record for the most number of dismissals (11) in a Test match. In 102 international matches, Pant’s tally includes 143 catches and 19 stumpings.
