Who is the Best Wicket Keeper in the World - (Updated 2025)

Wicketkeepers play a critical role in cricket, as they can significantly transform a team's fortunes. A good wicketkeeper always makes the team look different, which is always helpful. Over the years, the cricketing world has seen some of the greatest wicketkeepers write their names in history.

The best wicketkeeper in the world would not only contribute with the gloves but with the bat as well. The modern-day cricket requires a keeper to do as much as he can to contribute to his team. Becoming the world best wicket keeper is not easy and it requires some unique talent and immense hard work.

MS Dhoni, Kumar Sangakkara, and Adam Gilchrist are some of those names who have been the world best wicket keeper during their playing days. However, their legacy still continues. The current list of cricketers will also help in finding the answer to who is the best wicket keeper in the world.

Criteria to Rank the World's Best Wicket Keepers - Ranking Factors

We are ranking them as per dismissals, consistency, and batting performance. For a wicket-keeper, stumping and taking catches are one of the main aspects for them. Not only dismissals, but they need to focus on batting as they need to perform with consistency to help the side win games whenever required. They also need to have an impact throughout the season, which is a special quality.

• Dismissals per Match (Catches + Stumpings): The evolution of wicket-keeping has evolved. Mark Boucher is the world best wicket keeper in cricket with the most dismissals as a keeper in the history of the game. We will take a look at the total number of catches and stumpings to reflect a wicketkeeper’s effectiveness behind the stumps. The key to becoming the best wicket keeper in the world across formats of the game is precision and practice.
• Format Versatility (Test, ODI, T20I Performance): Consistency across all formats indicates adaptability and all-around keeping skill and helps us to determine the best wicket keeper in the world.
• Glove Work in Challenging Conditions: Skill in handling spin in subcontinent conditions and pace in overseas tours (e.g. bouncy pitches or swinging conditions) gives us an idea about the potential of a wicket keeper, and the performance of a keeper in such difficult conditions has been kept in mind while ranking the world best wicket keeper.
• Batting Contributions (Dual-Role Value): Not only with the gloves, the wicket-keepers need to be consistent with the bat as well. They need to score runs with the bat and win matches for the side. The world no 1 wicket keeper must play big innings in crunch situations. The ability to contribute runs, especially under pressure, enhances their value to the team. This is the reason some wicket-keepers have been match-winners for the side.
• Error Rate (Drops, Missed Stumpings): A low frequency of missed chances, misfields, or drop catches reflects reliability, and this becomes very crucial while ranking the top 10 best wicket keeper in the world.
• Impact in Big Matches: Performances in high-stakes games, such as World Cups or Test series, are significantly weighted in ratings. Maintaining high-performance levels over time is critical to ranking prominence. They often play a strategic role, guiding bowlers and field placements to help out their captain and change the course of the match. This is the reason Adam Gilchrist and MS Dhoni were match-winners for their side over many years and were considered to be the no 1 wicket keeper in the world during their career.
• Leadership & Field Awareness: Communication, field coordination, and influence on DRS or captaincy (many keepers are vice-captains or leaders) are some major contributions of a wicket keeper and help us to determine the top 10 best wicket keeper in the world.
• Longevity & Consistency: Sustained performance over the years without major dips in form or fitness is quite a difficult task, due to the nature of the game, but the top 10 best wicket keeper in the world have somewhat managed to do that in their career.
• Peer and Expert Recognition: Praise from legends, coaches, or other players has been considered as a secondary factor while ranking the no 1 wicket keeper in the world.
• Innovation & Reflex Speed: Unorthodox but effective techniques, reaction time, and game-changing moments (e.g., no-look run-outs, lightning stumpings). MS Dhoni was one such unorthodox keeper who defied the techniques of traditional wicket-keeping and still managed to be one of the best in the business. He was the best wicket keeper in the world during his playing days.

Top 10 World Best Wicket Keepers – Updated List

There are several world-class wicketkeepers in cricket right now, and they stake their claim to be the best wicketkeeper in the world based on their amazing numbers. The best wicket keeper in the world would have all the traits that make him a true match-winner for his team. Let's have a look at some of the best wicket keeper in the world currently.

Who is the Best Wicket Keeper in the World Right Now?

Here are the detailed career highlights of the top 10 best wicket keeper in the world. We have ranked them on the above ranking factors, which include batting contributions, wicketkeeping skills, Consistency, and performance across all formats. In the present time, a wicketkeeper needs to be a genuine batter as well, as there is so much competition for every spot in the national squad. Wicketkeepers are one of the most important assets for any team; they play a very important role in taking the DRS, as they are in the best position to view a batter's impact while taking DRS for LBW.

10. Mushfiqur Rahim | Bangladesh

Mushfiqur Rahim from Bangladesh is also part of the list of the top 10 best wicket-keeper in the world because of his experience and consistent performance over the years for his team. He has been a consistent player for the Bangla Tigers and has won numerous matches for the side along with former captain Shakib Al Hasan. His maiden Test century came in a losing cause against India. But it is the quickest by any Bangladeshi as of now.
Rahim has been an excellent keeper for the side. He has been the most trusted person behind the wicket for the side to date. The wicketkeeper-batter has 472 dismissals to his name across formats as a designated keeper. He has played 399 matches and had 472 dismissals to his name as a keeper. He now has a career of nearly two decades. He is among the world no 1 wicket keeper.

9. Nicholas Pooran | West Indies

Nicholas Pooran is one of the hard hitters of the ball in limited-overs cricket. The West Indies superstar has been a matchwinner for the side in the T20I format. His explosive batting and ability to change the game’s momentum are highly regarded. Pooran was also appointed captain of the West Indies limited-overs team. But he stepped down from the captaincy in November 2022, and shockingly, he announced his retirement from International Cricket in June 2025, at a young age of 29.

Pooran has played many impactful innings with the bat for the Caribbean nation; this is the reason he is the best wicket-keeper in the world. He has 96 dismissals. He was surely a dangerous batter of world cricket. He has played 167 international matches, but out of those matches, he was the designated wicket-keeper in only 83 matches.

8. Rahmanullah Gurbaz | Afghanistan

Rahmanullah Gurbaz has been one of the world’s best wicketkeepers in cricket in recent years. The 23-year-old has been a matchwinner for Afghanistan in limited limited-overs format. The flamboyant opener became the first batter for Afghanistan to score a century on debut in the ODI format. He has also been a matchwinner in the T20I format for the side.

Gurbaz was the leading run-scorer for Afghanistan in the 2018 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup. He has been a reliable wicket-keeper for the side as well. He has 63 dismissals to his name as a designated wicket-keeper, and it is just the start of his career. He will surely be a much better player in the upcoming years with lots of experience still to gain.

7. KL Rahul | India

KL Rahul is among the world best wicket keeper, he has been exceptionally good in improving his keeping skills and showed glimpses in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. He has been asked to play several roles for the Indian side during his career, and he has impressed in every role he has been assigned to by the management. Rahul is one of the most versatile and reliable batsmen of the Indian team. He has played 55 matches as a designated keeper and has 77 dismissals to his name. He has been India's wicket-keeper choice mainly in ODIs.

6. Tom Latham | New Zealand

Tom Latham has been one of the finest Kiwi batters in recent times. The left-handed batter has the most Test centuries for New Zealand’s opening batter. He was also a member of the New Zealand team that won the 2019–2021 ICC World Test Championship.

Latham has been a captain for the test side after Tim Southee retired from the longest format of the game. The Southpaw has featured in 119 matches as the designated wicket-keeper across formats for the side and has made 136 dismissals to his name. He is among the best wicket keeper in the world.

5. Litton Das | Bangladesh

Litton Das is a talented right-handed batsman and a top-notch wicketkeeper for Bangladesh. He’s played 50 Tests, 94 ODIs, and 101 T20Is, often opening in white-ball games and batting in the middle order in Tests. When Mushfiqur Rahim isn’t keeping, Litton steps up with his quick hands, sharp catches, and fast stumpings. He’s great against both fast and spin bowling, shining in big moments like the 2024 Test series against Pakistan. Even though he shares the keeper’s role sometimes, Litton’s clean work and big-match performances, like in the 2018 Asia Cup final, make him one of the best wicketkeepers in the world. He has played 93 international matches as the designated wicket-keeper and has 169 dismissals to his name with a dismissal per inning ratio of 1.42.

4. Mohammad Rizwan | Pakistan

Mohammad Rizwan is currently the captain of Pakistan in limited-overs cricket. The middle-order batter has been one of the finest for the Men in Green in recent years. He was named the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year and was also among the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 2021. Rizwan’s side failed to qualify for the knockout stages of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Rizwan has been criticised for his captaincy and batting approach in the major tournament. But he has been a backbone in the middle overs for the side. He has featured in 199 games and has 265 dismissals to his name as a designated wicket-keeper for Pakistan, and has scored 8331 runs across formats for the side. He has a dismissal per inning ratio of 1.16.

3. Rishabh Pant | India

Rishabh Pant has established himself as the match-winner for India across formats. He has been one of the finest middle-order batters for India in the red-ball format in recent times. Pant with his hard and unorthodox hitting creates nightmares for the bowlers. The aggressive left-handed batter was crucial in India’s many test victories in SENA countries.

However, he has not been a regular starter in the 50-over format. Pant has been a reliable person with the gloves and continues to motivate his team from behind the wicket. He keeps on taking the opposition batters with chit-chat while he is keeping. The Southpaw has played in 132 games (as keeper) for the Men in Blue across formats and has 240 dismissals to his name as a designated wicket-keeper. He has established himself as one of the world best wicket keeper in the world. Pant has a very impressive dismissal per inning ratio of 1.92, i.e., almost 2 dismissals per inning.

2. Alex Carey | Australia

Alex Carey has been a consistent performer for Australia in the test and ODI formats of the game. The Southpaw has captained Australia in ODI cricket and has served as a vice-captain in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. Carey has been a consistent player in the test format for the side. He had a controversy during the Ashes for running out Jonny Bairstow.

Carey has also served as the vice-captain for the side in the ODI format. He has 288 dismissals to his name, with 253 catches and 35 stumpings to his name as a designated keeper. The left-handed batter has been instrumental for Australia in both red and white ball formats in recent years.

1. Jos Buttler | England

Jos Buttler is one of the finest white-ball cricketers for England. He has been one of the best wicket keeper in the world over the last few years and England's consistent performer in limited-overs cricket. But since 2023, his form has gone down a bit. He has also stepped down from England’s white-ball captaincy role after a disappointing end to the ICC Champions Trophy campaign. However, Buttler remains a consistent performer over the years.

Buttler has also been a fair wicket-keeper in the white ball format of the game. But in recent times, he has not worn the gloves for the side and has been seen fielding as an outfielder. But he has impressive records to his name, with 476 dismissals to his name in 329 matches as a designated wicket-keeper, the most by an active keeper-batter in international format. He is the world no 1 wicket keeper in the white-ball format.