Which Wicketkeeper Has the Most Stumpings in Cricket History?

Former Indian cricket team captain and wicket-keeper MS Dhoni has the most stumpings in cricket history with a whopping 195 stump outs to his name in 538 games in international cricket.

What was once a part-time role in cricket has become a specialist’s job in the modern day. With spinners evolving to introduce impressive variations and slower deliveries becoming the latest trend of pace bowlers, a wicketkeeper’s role has never been more important in cricket.

1. MS Dhoni | 195 Stumpings

Inarguably the best wicket-keeper that cricket has seen over the last two decades, let alone India, MS Dhoni leads the list of most stumpings in cricket history. The player from Jharkhand became a household name owing to his hard-hitting abilities before India’s dismal outing in the 2007 ODI World Cup handed Dhoni a glorious chance to lead the Indian team in the T20 World Cup 2007. 

Image Credits: @WorshipDhoni (X Account)

There was no looking back since as the “Captain Cool” went on to win the 2011 ODI World Cup and 2013 ICC Champions Trophy after that, thus becoming the most successful Indian cricket captain ever. Dhoni’s keen understanding of the track and analysis of batters’ weaknesses led Indian bowlers to turn numerous matches from losing positions. So sharp has been Dhoni's game-reading skills that the DRS system is popularly known as the Dhoni Review System today.

Apart from his 195 stumpings, Dhoni has also taken 634 catches from behind the stumps. His best outing from behind the stumps came during India’s tour of England in 2007, where Dhoni took six catches during the second ODI in Leeds.

2. Kumar Sangakkara | 139 Stumpings

Sitting second on this list is former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara, although he is well behind Dhoni in terms of stumpings and catches despite playing 56 more matches. An orthodox wicket-keeper who didn’t have Dhoni’s eye for detail, Sangakkara flourished for his sheer consistency. 

Kumar Sangakkara

One might put up a case about the Lankan being a better wicketkeeper than most of his contemporaries because he had to keep up against the likes of Muthiah Muralidaran, Ajantha Mendis and more. On the contrary, it can also be argued that Sangakkara stat-padded well owing to such high-quality spinners on the side during his tenure. Apart from his 139 stumpings, Sangakkara has also taken 539 catches from behind the stumps with his best outing as a gloveman.

3. Romesh Kaluwitharana | 101 Stumpings

Sri Lanka’s wicketkeeper during their golden age, when the Asian side rose to power by stunning the world in the 1996 World Cup, Romesh Kaluwitharana could be labeled as the figure that the likes of Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan and others aspired to become in the 90s.

Romesh Kaluwitharana of Sri Lanka//Getty Images

Kaluwitharana is higher on the list despite not having as many dismissals from behind the stumps as his conversion rate. Effecting 325 dismissals in just 238 matches, the gloveman affected over 1.2 dismissals per game. He has 101 stumpings and 224 catches with the best outing being when he took five catches in a single match.

4. Mushfiqur Rahim | 101 stumpings

The Bangladesh wicketkeeper is an example of longevity, with his career spanning 19 years and still going. Rahim has long been Bangladesh’s one-stop solution behind the stumps across all three formats of the game.

Rahim has made only 101 stumpings so far in 464 games. But, to his credit, Bangladesh has always lacked good spinners with their best option being all-rounder Shakib-al-Hasan. But, the likes of Mustafizur Rahman have resulted in many knicks and edges that saw Rahim taking 367 catches so far.

5. Moin Khan | 93 Stumpings

Pakistan’s best wicket-keeper to date and a member of the 1992 World Cup winning team, Moin Khan was known for his sharp movements behind the stumps as well as reliable lower-order batting. Pakistan relied heavily on their gloveman to deliver, having world-class bowlers like Wasim Akram, Aaqib Javed, Ijaz Ahmed, Mushtaq Ahmed and more.

Moin Khan has executed the fifth-most number of stumpings in world cricket, but his USP was taking catches behind the stumps. He has taken a whopping 341 catches with his best being five catches in a single innings. His peak came when Moin Khan led Pakistan to the 1995 Asia Cup trophy.

6. Adam Gilchrist | 92 Stumpings 

While the world largely remembers Adam Gilchrist for his aggressive batting across all formats of the game and unique ability to hit big shots, the southpaw was one of the few players who revolutionized the role of wicket-keepers in the 1990s, His lightning-quick reflexes and unparalleled consistency was the foundation based on which Australia became a world power in cricket. 

A fine athlete who could move in split-seconds, Gilchrist possessed remarkable anticipation as well that helped him to handle both the likes of Shane Warne and Brett Lee equally well. One of the greatest wicket-keeper batsmen, Gilchrist has 92 stumpings and a stupendous 813 catches. He has 905 dismissals from behind the stumps across all three formats of the game, with his best display as a gloveman coming when he took six catches in a single game.

7. Kamran Akmal | 85 Stumpings

Yet another Pakistan wicket-keeper who has effected multiple stumpings is Kamran Akmal. Though the player was often accused of lapse in concentration and being inconsistent, Akmal did play a big role in helping Pakistan to win the 2009 T20 World Cup. He has made 85 stumpings and taken 368 catches from behind the stumps.

8. Ian Healy | 68 Stumpings

Before Adam Gilchrist, Australia had a tough gloveman in Ian Healy who remained the side’s reliant wicketkeeper for almost a decade and was responsible for Australia’s success in the 1990s, he was perhaps the most successful player who kept to Shane Warne who won the side many matches. Healy’s record of 395 dismissals remained a record in Test cricket for quite some time.

9. Sarfaraz Ahmed | 56 Stumpings

The former Pakistan captain was the last player to lead the side to an ICC title in 2017 when they defeated India to win the Champions trophy. Like Akma, Ahmed wasn’t very consistent, but he remained a mainstay behind the wickets for almost 16 years for the Men in Green. The likes of Yasir Shah, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Zulfiqar Babar, Shoaib Malik, Imad Wasim and more are indebted to Ahmed’s sharp wicket-keeping skills.

Sarfaraz Ahmed