Safe-keeping: Most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in Men’s and Women’s T20Is
Glorious boundaries, fiery spells and gravity-defying fielding displays are celebrated extensively in cricket. And rightly so. But an aspect which isn’t praised enough is wicketkeeping. Arguably, keeping is the toughest skill to master in cricket. It is not an easy task to crouch for over after over as well as grab all kinds of balls coming towards you. It is also imperative for the keeper to have extraordinary reflexes and be able to read the bowler better than the batsman. And after all this, it is looked upon as something a keeper has to do as it is his/her job. Despite the difficult nature of the task, there are a few players who have been able to master this skill. Here is the list of wicketkeepers with most dismissal in T20Is.
5. Merissa Aguilleira (West Indies-W) – 70
Merissa Aguilleira served West Indies cricket for more than a decade. She made her ODI debut in 2008 and T20I debut in 2009. She went on to play 112 ODIs scoring 1752 runs and 95 T20Is, playing 72 innings and amassing 768 runs. Over the years she became a regular behind the stumps, and in her long career accounted for 70 dismissals-which includes 36 catches and 34 stumpings. She was a gutsy and gritty player who always gave it her all for the team. She even led the team from 2009-2015. The defining moment in her career was winning the T20 World Cup in 2016 in India. She called time on her illustrious career in 2019.
4. Rachel Priest (New Zealand-W) – 72
One of the most enterprising batters for New Zealand in the last decade, Rachel Priest is one of the safest wicket-keepers to have played the game. She made her debut way back in 2007 and after playing 87 ODIs with 1694 runs and 75 T20Is(64 innings) for 873 runs, she called it quits early this year in March. In the last few years, she even went on to represent Sydney Thunder in the Women’s Big Bash League. She ended up accounting for 72 dismissals as a keeper with 41 catches and 31 stumpings. Her 157* against Sri Lanka in 2015 was the highest ever score by a wicket-keeper batswoman in ODIs.
3. Sarah Taylor (England-W) – 74
Regarded as one of the best keepers to have played the game, Sarah Taylor had an illustrious 13-year career as the wicketkeeper of the England team. She made her debut in 2006 across all formats and went to play 10 Tests, scoring 300 runs, 126 ODIs, scoring 4056 at a stunning average of 38.26 and 90 T20Is scoring 2177 runs. She was also a part of the World Cup-winning teams in 2009 and 2017 and in 2014 was named ICC Women’s Cricketer of the year. In T20Is, she managed to affect 74 dismissals as a keeper with 23 catches and 51 stumpings. She has been hailed to be amongst the fastest hands behind the stumps and her stumpings have often left viewers awestruck. She called it quits in 2019, owing to her battles with mental health, but her legacy will continue to live on.
2. M.S Dhoni (India) – 91
M.S Dhoni is not only an excellent batsman and captain but a wicketkeeper par excellence as well. He played 90 Tests with 4876 runs, 350 ODIs with 10773 runs and 98 T20Is(85 innings) with 1617 runs to his name. He led India to the 2007 T20 World Cup as well as the 2011 World Cup. His wicket-keeping skills were always very unorthodox, yet super effective. He has affected 92 dismissals in T20Is with 57 catches and 34 stumpings. His reaction time behind the stumps has been brilliant. While he retired from international cricket just a few months back, he continues to play in the IPL and enthral the fans with his batting as well as his keeping.
1. Alyssa Healy (Australia-W) – 93
The most successful wicketkeeper in T20 internationals, Alyssa Healy has been nothing short of a phenomenon. She has dominated women’s cricket with quite some gumption. She’s played 4 Tests with 201 runs, 76 ODIs scoring 1721 runs and 115 T20Is, with 2107 runs. She is an aggressive, top-order batswoman who loves to dominate. She has had a glittering career, but the most iconic moment undoubtedly, was her 75 off just 39 balls, in the finals of the T20 World Cup earlier this year in March, in front of a jam-packed Melbourne Cricket Ground, which helped Australia lift the title. She has always been an excellent keeper and recently reached the milestone of 92 dismissals to eclipse Dhoni’s record and currently has 42 catches and 51 stumpings. With age on her side, we could see her cross several more milestones.
