Best Wicketkeepers in IPL History - Ranking the Most Reliable Glovesmen

Like umpiring, Wicketkeeping is a thankless job where individuals are mostly remembered for their mistakes. But it's not always the case as the game of cricket has been bestowed with stupendous skillful personalities in the form of MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Adam Gilchrist, Quinton de Kock, etc. Unlike a batter or a bowler, the wicketkeepers often have a duty in the field. 

The constant crouch and stand movement for twenty or fifty overs in white ball cricket is a hectic task in itself. Moreover, with the advancement of technology, the glovemen are often asked to keep a close eye on the trajectory of the ball to assist in DRS decisions. Furthermore, they’re also required to excel with the bat after their primary role is perfected. And in case you’re an opening batter, there are times when you need to pad up and bat after 20 or 50 overs of keeping the stumps in white ball cricket. 

Wicketkeeping is also one such department that plays a key role in dictating a contest’s outcome. And when it comes to big competitions, a team hunts for wicketkeeper-batters who are master of their trade. The Indian Premier League has witnessed some of the major flashes of brilliance behind the stumps in its 18-year history. But there have been only a few candidates who have gelled as well as with the willow as well as behind the wickets. Let us have a look at them and rate the top IPL wicketkeepers of all time.

1. MS Dhoni

One of the pioneers of modern-day wicketkeeping, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is renowned for his lightning-quick stumpings from behind the stumps. He was also a witty operator of the ball who could use his hand and pads to restrict the ball flow past him off an outside or inside edge. 

When it comes to whipping the bails off, Dhoni performs it in a jiffy. His unconventional form of wicketkeeping makes him one of the best behind the stumps. The former Indian captain tends to move his palm in front to catch the ball, unlike traditional glovemen, who wait for the ball to come at them and then try to affect stumping. He has performed the most stumping dismissals in the history of IPL, having whipped the bails before the batter could make it into the crease 46 times. Dinesh Karthik is the next best with 37 successful stumpings.

Dhoni is also a great reader of the game. Known for his smart tactics behind the wickets, Dhoni was key to Chennai Super Kings' five IPL titles since the tourney’s inception in 2008. He is a great observer of the game and is known to regulate a cricket contest from behind the wickets like no one else. Dhoni was so good with his Decision Reviews in his prime that DRS was labelled as “Dhoni Review System” among cricket enthusiasts.

In 264 innings, the middle-order batter affected 197 dismissals, which include 151 catches. His dismissal per innings reads 0.746. Currently, he is captaining the Chennai side in IPL 2025, filling the shoes of Ruturaj Gaikwad, who was ruled out of the mega event due to an elbow injury.

2. Dinesh Karthik

Another fantastic Indian wicketkeeper whose career trajectory runs parallel to that of Dhoni is Dinesh Karthik. Rising the ranks from the State of Tamil Nadu, Karthik made a mark in International cricket during India’s tour to England in 2004 under captain Rahul Dravid. He was a part of the Delhi Daredevils in the inaugural season of IPL, plying his trade as a wicketkeeper-batter alongside prominent names such as Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan, Glenn McGrath, AB de Villiers, Mohammad Asif, Shoaib Malik, and Daniel Vettori.

Karthik initiated his IPL career as a wicketkeeper who could bat in the middle order. Gradually, he switched into a finisher with his captaincy role with the Kolkata Knight Riders from 2018-2021 being the prime highlight. After a below-par outing with the Shah Rukh Khan-co-owned franchise, he was roped in by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru side, where Karthik excelled in his role. There was never a question about his wicketkeeping skills, but time and again, his batting was under scrutiny. The Bengaluru side leveraged Karthik the finisher for three years before the gloveman hung boots ahead of the 2025 Indian Premier League Mega Auction.

In his 17-year IPL career, Karthik represented six teams – Delhi Daredevils, Mumbai Indians, Kings XI Punjab, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Gujarat Lions. He finished his career with 174 dismissals in 257 innings, including 137 catches and 37 stumpings, with a dismissal per innings rate of 0.74.

3. Wriddhiman Saha

Known for his Superman-like reflexes, Wriddhiman Saha is one of those rare gems who played a part in the Indian Premier League since its inaugural season till IPL 17. Training under Jayanta Bhowmick of Agragami Sporting Club, Siliguri, he grew up as a wicketkeeper-batter whose trademark sweeps and lofted drives were pleasing to watch for cricketing fans. After making his breakthrough into the Bengal domestic set up, he was a part of the glitterati Indian Premier League amidst legends. 

In his first year, Saha shared the dressing room with former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting, West Indies T20 legend Chris Gayle, Pakistani gun pacer Shoaib Akhtar, and pioneer of modern style of T20 cricket, Brendon McCullum. After his first three years with KKR, he represented Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Gujarat Titans in his illustrated IPL career. 

While the wicketkeeper-batter started off his career as a lower-middle order, he transitioned into a top-order aggressor at the cue end of his IPL career. Saha is also one of those rare cricketers to have scored a century in an IPL final (for Kings XI Punjab against Kolkata in 2014). Saha enforced 113 dismissals in 149 innings that included 87 catches and 26 stumpings.

4. Rishabh Pant

One of the flamboyant wicketkeeper-batters to have played a part in the IPL, Rishabh Pant was first roped in by the Delhi Daredevils after his successful outing with the India Under-19 unit. The left-handed batter is among the many rare batters who managed to dominate Jasprit Bumrah in his prime. 

His X-factor ability and aggressive style of batting earned a national call-up ahead of the 2019 World Cup. Pant was also preferred over Saha as the Test wicketkeeper-batter for India due to his ability to accelerate the innings with the tail. His early exposure to the national side allowed him to learn the trade from senior pros like Dhoni. 

Pant filled the shoes of regular captain Shreyas Iyer in 2021 after a shoulder injury ruled the Mumbaikar out for the rest of the tournament. Having impressed the owners in the responsible role, Pant was rewarded with full-time captaincy of the Capitals before his move to Lucknow Super Giants for a whooping INR 27.50 Crore in IPL 2025 Mega Auction.

The Roorkee-born has 99 dismissals from 108 innings with 76 catches and 23 stumpings under his name. Currently, he is captaining the Super Giants in IPL 2025.

5. Quinton de Kock

One of the best players against the short balls, Quinton de Kock, came into the limelight after a dream international debut against India in 2012/13. At a ripe age of 20, he smashed three back-to-back centuries against the Men in Blue that earned him a contract with the Sunrisers Hyderabad the same year. However, he got limited opportunities for the Orange Army, Delhi Capitals, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the initial half of his IPL career before breakthrough seasons with Mumbai Indians between 2019-2021. 

De Kock was crucial behind the stumps and as an opening batter in Mumbai’s two titles in 2019 and 2020. Despite the desires, the franchise had to release him ahead of the mega auction where the Lucknow side fetched his services for three years. His 140 against the Kolkata side in IPL 2022 is the fourth-highest individual total in IPL history. 

Having endorsed 84 dismissals in 98 innings, the Proteas is currently representing his sixth IPL franchise – Kolkata Knight Riders – in the ongoing IPL 2025.

6. Robin Uthappa

One of the prominent batters from India’s World T20 triumph in 2007, Robin Uthappa, earned a contract in the inaugural season of the IPL with the Mumbai Indians. But he didn’t quite have a great start to his IPL career despite making switches to Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Pune Warriors India until 2013. 

Uthappa’s breakthrough came for the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014, where he earned the Orange Cap after racking up 660 runs at an average of 44 in 16 innings. The Karnataka batter was a regular for the Knight Riders until 2019 before his lacklustre batting form led to his departure. He represented the Rajasthan Royals and the Chennai Super Kings in the next three years but seemed past his prime.

After Dhoni, Uthappa (32) has enforced the most stumpings in IPL history. In 114 innings, he was a part of 90 dismissals from behind the stumps.

7. Adam Gilchrist

One of the fantastic strikers of the cricket ball, Adam Gilchrist, was a part of the glitterati league at the early stages of the tourney. An IPL-winning captain for the Deccan Chargers in IPL’s second edition, Gilchrist has been the primary wicketkeeper-batter for several franchises in the league’s history. 

Gilchrist amassed 436 and 495 runs in the first couple of editions for the Chargers before his batting form dipped in the next four editions. The left-handed batter led the Chargers before Kings XI Punjab acquired his services for the fourth, fifth, and sixth seasons. Although he wasn’t effective up top, the southpaw’s game sense and experience instilled a lot of confidence in the team. One of the memorable moments revolving around Gilchrist was his last IPL game, where he bowled in the tournament for the first time and outsmarted Harbhajan Singh of Mumbai Indians to celebrate the wicket in ‘Gangnam style’.

The Australian veteran inflicted 67 dismissals from behind the stumps that including 51 catches and 15 stumpings.

8. Sanju Samson

Scouted early, a young Sanju Samson was first a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2012. Despite being a part of the IPL title-winning side, he did not get to play a game and was later released in the next year’s auction. Rajasthan Royals picked him in IPL 2013, and the batter played a part for three seasons before a switch to Delhi Daredevils between 2016-17. 

Despite having a plethora of strokes in his armoury, Samson failed to be consistent with the bat in the early half of his IPL career before his return to Pink turned out to be gold. Samson found his footing from IPL 2018, ending up as one of the core retentions of the franchise on several mega-auctions.

Currently, the captain of the Royals, Samson has 78 dismissals from behind the stumps in 112 innings with a dismissals per innings rate of 0.696.

9. Naman Ojha

One of the underrated wicketkeeper-batters to have played a part in various franchises in the early phase of IPL is Naman Ojha. The wicketkeeper-batter has batted across numerous positions in the batting order, but his best came at the top of the order. He represented Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Daredevils, and the Sunrisers Hyderabad in a career that spanned from 2008 to 2018. In 111 innings, Ojha took 75 successful wickets behind the stumps, 65 of which were caught behind.