Best wicket-keeper in India isn’t an easy pick. Many world-class wicket-keepers have represented the cricket-crazy nation over the years. Some showcased excellent wicket-keeping skills, while others enthralled Indian cricket fans with their batting and stunning work behind the stumps. We pick five wicket-keepers who the cricket enthusiasts still revere.
Best Wicket-Keeper in India – Starting from Farokh Engineer & Syed Kirmani
Hailing from Mumbai, Farokh Engineer was an elegant batsman who showcased excellent glovework for India during the 60s and 70s. Engineer made his Test debut in the five-match Test series against England at home in 1961. The then 23-year-old struck his maiden half-century in the final match of the series.
Engineer played one of the most remarkable innings by an Indian batsman against the West Indies. At Madras (now Chennai) in 1967, India won the toss and decided to bat first. Engineer, who opened the batting with Dileep Sardesai, went after the West Indies bowling attack comprising Wesley Hall, Charlie Griffith, Lance Gibbs, and Garry Sobers.
He remained not out on 94 at Lunch and reached his first-ever hundred with a six off Gibbs immediately after the resumption. It is regarded as one of the finest attacking knocks in red-ball cricket. Engineer, who claimed 82 dismissals in Test cricket, played his final game for India in the 1975 World Cup.
Farokh Engineer Stats (Test cricket)
Innings: 87, Runs: 2611, 100s: 2, Highest Score: 121, Catches: 66, Stumpings: 16
Syed Kirmani is one of the greatest wicket-keepers of his era. The Chennai-born cricketer played a decisive role in many of India’s historic triumphs in the 80s. Kirmani was the first Indian cricketer to complete 100 dismissals in Test cricket.
In his second Test, he equaled the world record for the most dismissals in a Test innings after taking five catches and effecting a stumping. Kirmani was also a handy batter and is the only Indian player to score a hundred as a ‘night-watchman’. It was against Australia at Wankhede Stadium in 1979.
Kirmani played a crucial role in India’s first World Cup triumph. He and Kapil Dev added an unbeaten stand of 126 for the ninth wicket in the crucial match against Zimbabwe, where Kapil scored 175*. With 14 dismissals, Kirmani also finished second in the most dismissals chart in the 1983 World Cup.
Syed Kirmani Stats (Test cricket)
Innings: 124, Runs: 2759, 100s: 2, Highest score: 102, Catches: 160, Stumpings: 38
Best Indian Wicket-keepers in 90s – Kiran More
Kiran More stands out among the wicket-keepers who played for India between the mid-eighties and early nineties. He replaced Syed Kirmani in 1986 and was a team India regular for more than eight years. The Gujarat-born wicket-keeper holds the record for most stumpings in an innings in Test cricket.
At Chidambaram Stadium in 1988, More dismissed five West Indies players by stumping in the second innings. Narendra Hirwani, on debut, took 16 wickets in the same Test match. More is also known for his chirpiness behind the stumps. In the 1992 World Cup, More’s banter with former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad was one of the most hilarious incidents in cricket history.
He has made more than 200 dismissals in international cricket and made decent contributions with the bat in red-ball cricket. More retired from cricket in 1994 but continues to serve the game. He was the chairman of the national selection panel from 2003 to 2006. The 60-year-old also runs an academy in Baroda.
Kiran More Stats (Test cricket)
Innings: 64, Runs: 1285, 50s: 7, Highest score: 73, Catches: 110, Stumpings: 20
Best Wicket-keeper in India – MS Dhoni & Rishabh Pant
MS Dhoni finds his name in the list of great wicket-keepers in the world, like Mark Boucher, Adam Gilchrist, Kumar Sangakkara, etc. He took Indian cricket by storm after scoring a terrific hundred against Pakistan in Vizag in 2005. Famously known as Captain Cool, Dhoni was an exceptional white-ball finisher and had all the attributes of a world-class wicket-keeper.
The former Indian captain was lightning-quick behind the stumps and was one of the sharpest tacticians the game has seen. Dhoni was handed the captaincy in 2007. He guided India to T20 World Cup, ODI World Cup, and Champions Trophy titles. Under him, India also reached the No 1 ranking in Test cricket.
Dhoni leads India’s dismissals chart in all three formats. He is the only wicket-keeper to effect more than 100 stumpings in ODIs and scored more than 17,000 runs across all three formats. The Chennai Super Kings captain retired from international cricket at the end of the 2019 World Cup in England.
Nayan Mongia, Rahul Dravid, Dinesh Karthik, and Wriddhiman Saha are other notable names to put on the gloves for India.
M S Dhoni Stats (ODI, Test, & T20I Combined)
Innings: 526, Runs: 17266, 100s: 16, Highest Score: 224, Catches: 634, Stumpings: 195
Rishabh Pant is one of the fearless wicket-keeper batters in international cricket now. At 25, Pant has made around 200 dismissals and racked up more than 4000 runs in international cricket. He is the only Indian wicket-keeper to score a century in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia).
The maverick cricketer made his international debut in 2017 and quickly became a regular in all three formats. He also improved his wicket-keeping and kept producing sensational knocks in red-ball cricket. In 2021, the match-winning 89* against Australia at The Gabba was one of the most remarkable innings by an Indian gloveman abroad.
With a long career ahead of him, Pant is destined for greatness. He is currently the captain of Delhi Capitals in IPL and has also led the ‘Men in Blue’ in a T20 series against South Africa.
Rishabh Pant Stats (ODI, Test, & T20I Combined)
Innings: 138, Runs: 4123, 100s: 6, Highest Score: 159*, Catches: 172, Stumpings: 24
FAQs about Best Wicket-keeper in India
Who is the best wicket-keeper in India?
MS Dhoni is regarded as the best wicket-keeper in India. He made a total of 829 dismissals in international cricket.
What is the highest score by an Indian wicket-keeper in ODI?
Ishan Kishan made the highest score by an Indian wicket-keeper in ODI after scoring 210 from just 131 balls.
Who is the first Indian wicket-keeper to score a Test hundred in Australia?
Rishabh Pant is the first Indian wicket-keeper to score a century in Australia. He made 159 at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2019.
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