Who are the top wicket-keeper batsmen in IPL history?
Wicket-keeper batsmen are specialized commodities who hold high value in the shortest format of cricket. In T20, every player is expected to contribute with the bat and a good batsman-wicketkeeper can be the difference between winning and losing a match . In the IPL, there have only been a handful of successful wicket-keepers. Let's look at some of such wicket-keepers who have performed consistently.
MS Dhoni: The best of them of all
MS Dhoni ranks among the top 5 wicket-keepers of all time across all the 3 formats. In IPL, he has effective both as a wicket-keeper and a finisher. Not only has he led Chennai Super Kings to two titles, he also has the second most dismissals in the history of IPL (102). The CSK skipper has amassed 3,560 runs from his 159 IPL appearances.
Dinesh Karthik: The wicket keeper with most IPL dismissals
With 106 victims, Dinesh Karthik holds the record for effecting most dismissals in IPL. DK has been a part of Delhi Daredevils, Gujarat Lions, Kings XI Punjab, Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore. In this season, Karthik will lead the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise. His heroic cameo in the Nidahas Trophy final shows his effectiveness. He has scored 2,903 runs in 152 IPL matches.
Robin Uthappa: The non-traditional wicket keeper
Robin Uthappa, an occasional wicket-keeper outside of IPL, has effected 90 dismissals in the cash-rich league. Uthappa is a prolific run-getter and has the record for most number of runs by a wicket keeper. He has 3,735 from 149 matches. With Karthik in the same team as him, it is unlikely that he will be seen behind the stumps in 2018 IPL.
Naman Ojha and Parthiv Patel
Naman Ojha has featured in all the 10 seasons of IPL. He is on the number 4th spot in the list of top-rated wicket keepers. He has 75 dismissals to his name and has scored 1,553 runs. Parthiv Patel has been a part of as many as six IPL franchises and in his IPL career, he has effected 71 dismissals and scored 2,322 runs.
Special mention: Adam Gilchrist
Despite not playing professional cricket anymore, the legendary wicket-keeper batsman Adam Gilchrist is among the top 10 IPL wicket-keepers of all time with 67 dismissals in 80 matches. He scored 2,069 runs in his IPL career.
