2013 in review: Top 5 wicket-keepers

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It is very difficult to make a choice between Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Brad Haddin for 2013’s best wicket keeper. The other players who make the list of top five wicket keepers of the year are Kumar Sangakkara, AB De Villiers and Brendon McCullum.

Dhoni, De Villiers and McCullum have shown good examples of wicket-keeper-captain combination. All the above mentioned names have experienced both victories and losses in 2013.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

MS Dhoni

The Indian skipper played 18 One Day Internationals and five Test matches. He has taken 25 catches and has 10 stumped victims. After a very terrible time in Test cricket in 2011 (post World Cup) and 2012, he managed to start 2013 with a victory.

Though India lost the Test series against England at home in 2012, 2-1, his performance in the final Test match along with the vice-captain Virat Kohli, he avoided a loss of 3-1. The sad part was his run-out on 99. The Australians flew to India for a four-match Test series with a lot of confidence after they had white-washed the hosts Down-Under a year back.

Dhoni-led Indian team proved to be too good for the visitors. Dhoni started the series with a bang, scoring an impressive double hundred in the first Test match. Even though the Australians made few changes in every match, they couldn’t avoid the 4-0 loss.

Dhoni even led his young team India to the Champions Trophy victory in England, there by becoming the only captain to win all the major tournaments — 50-50 World Cup, T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy.