Top 10 Best Wicket keeper in the World In 2026
Jan 22, 2026, 23:37 IST
Wicket keepers have become a critical aspect in contemporary cricket both in the stumps and with the bat. In the year 2026, the best wicket keepers will also be rated based on their glove work but also on their consistency, fitness, leadership, and match-winning skills in all formats. The following is the list of the 10 best wicket keepers in the world as of 2026 depending on performances, records, and impact.
1. MS Dhoni (India)
MS Dhoni is still one of the all-time great wicketkeepers in the history of the sport. Dhoni was the world leader in wicket-keeping as he was known to be incredibly fast in stumping, calm, and able to finish. In 2026, he is still considered an example of the best behind the stumps.
2. Adam Gilchrist (Australia)
The aggressive batting at the top of the order revolutionised the role of wicketkeepers, as seen in the case of Adam Gilchrist. His crisp glove work paired with the explosive strokes play earned him a position among the greatest influencing wicket keepers in the history of cricket.
3. Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)
Kumar Sangakkara had a reputation for being elegant, consistent, and technically perfect. Being a wicket-keeper-batsman, he was a prolific scorer in all formats as well as keeping a high standard, which makes him one of the greatest in history.
4. Quinton de Kock (South Africa)
Quinton de Kock is among the finest contemporary wicketkeepers who have reflex and carnal batting skills. His capability to offer quick starts and make clean dismissals qualifies him as one of the best in the world in 2026.
5. Jos Buttler (England)
Jos Buttler has a reputation for being an explosive batsman and an athletic wicket-keeper. He is an important player to England because of his speedy movements, good hands, and match-winning knocks in limited-overs cricket.
6. Rishabh Pant (India)
Rishabh Pant is one of the most promising wicket-keeper-batsmen in the contemporary world. His fearless batting approach and better wicket-keeping skills have seen him be a key match-winner for India in all formats.
7. Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
His consistency, fitness, and discipline behind the stumps are things that are admired by Mohammad Rizwan. He is among the safest wicketkeepers ever in the modern day cricket and a reliable top-order batsman most notably in the white-ball game.
8. Brendon McCullum (New Zealand)
Brendon McCullum added aggression and innovativeness to the wicket-keeping. His leadership, batting strength, and keeping skills enabled him to become one of the best cricketers of New Zealand and a world icon.
9. AB de Villiers (South Africa)
AB de Villiers was anoutstanding wicket-keeperr even though he was mainly a batsman. His agility, speed, and diversity made him one of the best men in goal during his time.
10. Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Babar Azam has also been used as a wicketkeeper periodically and is bought in due to his versatility and technical ability. His soothing personality, batting prowess, and leadership are assets to teams and help when he takes their wickets.
Conclusion
The role of wicket-keeping is a challenging multi-skill position in 2026. The pioneers of such legends were MS Dhoni and Adam Gilchrist, with the current star players including Quinton de Kock, Jos Buttler, and Rishabh Pant stepping in to do even better. Wicket keepers are the most agile, alert, and have good batting skills that make them change the course of matches in any game.