A wicketkeeper needs to always be on their toes in Tests, as they might get a stumping chance or have to grab a catch by diving in the air.
But apart from this, a wicketkeeper-batter also needs to display their batting prowess when the situation arises. Over the years, we have witnessed some dashing keeper-batters dazzle the field with their batting excellence.
In this article, we’ll look at the top 10 wicketkeepers with the most runs in Test cricket.
Most Runs by a Wicketkeeper in Tests
| Player | Innings | Runs as WK | High Score | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Gilchrist (AUS) | 137 | 5570 | 204* | 47.60 |
| Mark Boucher (SA) | 206 | 5515 | 125 | 30.30 |
| MS Dhoni (IND) | 144 | 4876 | 224 | 38.09 |
| Alec Stewart (ENG) | 145 | 4540 | 173 | 34.92 |
| Andy Flower (ZIM) | 100 | 4404 | 232* | 53.70 |
| Alan Knott (ENG) | 149 | 4389 | 135 | 32.75 |
| Ian Healy (AUS) | 182 | 4356 | 161* | 27.39 |
| Matt Prior (ENG) | 123 | 4099 | 131* | 40.18 |
| Rod Marsh (AUS) | 150 | 3633 | 132 | 26.51 |
| Mushfiqur Rahim (BAN) | 104 | 3515 | 219* | 37.00 |
Key Insights
5570: Australia’s Adam Gilchrist holds the record for scoring the most runs as a wicketkeeper in the Test format. The legendary keeper-batter boasts an incredible tally of 5570 runs at an impressive average of 47.60. And he occupies the third spot for scoring the most runs as a keeper in all formats.
2: Gilchrist and Mark Boucher are the only 2 keeper-batters with 5000+ Test runs. Boucher had a 15-year career — 6 years longer than Gilchrist — but he fell short of capturing the top spot by a few runs.
17: During his illustrious Test career, Gilchrist also smashed 17 centuries, which is the most hundreds by a keeper in the longer format. The only other batter who has more than 10 hundreds as a keeper-batter is Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower with 12 tons.
53.70: Speaking of Andy Flower, the Zimbabwean great has the highest batting average among keeper-batters with 3000+ Test runs. Flower averaged a good 53.70 with the bat while scoring 4404 runs in 100 innings.
232: Moreover, Flower smashed the highest individual score by a wicketkeeper-batter in Tests in November 2000. He scored an unbeaten 232, helping his side draw the match against India after being asked to follow on.
