In the high-octane T20 format, the wicketkeeper’s role is not just limited to doing the glovework. They also need to be efficient with the bat, scoring significant runs for their team.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has seen a plethora of wicketkeepers who have excelled behind the stumps and in front of the stumps. Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the prime example, with lightning-quick stumpings and high-impact batting innings.
In this article, we’ll list the top 10 players with the most runs as wicketkeepers in the IPL.
Most Runs as Wicketkeeper in IPL
| Player | Innings | Runs as WK | High Score | Strike Rate | 100/50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MS Dhoni | 232 | 5259 | 84* | 137.81 | 0/24 |
| Dinesh Karthik | 214 | 4463 | 97* | 135.28 | 0/21 |
| KL Rahul | 77 | 3276 | 132* | 140.66 | 2/27 |
| Rishabh Pant | 107 | 3192 | 128* | 147.70 | 1/18 |
| Sanju Samson | 108 | 3046 | 119 | 142.93 | 1/18 |
| Robin Uthappa | 111 | 3011 | 87 | 133.52 | 0/18 |
| Quinton de Kock | 98 | 2967 | 140* | 135.85 | 2/22 |
| Wriddhiman Saha | 133 | 2733 | 115* | 128.24 | 1/13 |
| Parthiv Patel | 120 | 2583 | 81 | 122.88 | 0/13 |
| Adam Gilchrist | 80 | 2069 | 109* | 138.39 | 2/11 |
Key Insights
MS Dhoni became the first player to score 5000+ runs as a wicketkeeper-batter in IPL history. (Check out MS Dhoni’s year-wise performance in the tournament here.)
A total of 17 wicketkeepers have accumulated 1000 or more runs in the league. Apart from the above 10 keepers, Ishan Kishan, Naman Ojha (1553), Kumar Sangakkara (1389), AB de Villiers (1202), Jos Buttler, Heinrich Klaasen, and Jonny Bairstow have crossed the 1000-run mark.
Brendon McCullum scored the highest individual score by a wicketkeeper in the IPL. The Kiwi batter brought up an unbeaten 158 against RCB in the inaugural match in 2008. This was also the first-ever century of the league.
Adam Gilchrist, KL Rahul, and Quinton de Kock are the only three players with two or more centuries as keepers in the IPL. Gilchrist (Deccan Chargers & Punjab) and de Kock (Delhi & Lucknow) have scored their hundreds for two different teams.
Dinesh Karthik and Parthiv Patel are the two wicketkeepers with 10 or more ducks in the T20 tournament.
Dhoni is the only one with more than 200 sixes among the glovemen. On the other hand, Karthik is the only keeper-batter who struck 400+ fours.
KL Rahul is the only wicketkeeper-batter who has a 50+ batting average (minimum 65 innings).
Heinrich Klaasen’s strike rate of around 170 is the highest among the keepers with 1000+ runs in the IPL.
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