Ranking the wicket-keepers of each IPL 2024 team
It is that time of the year again when cricket fans from around the globe ready themselves for the two-month carnival, the IPL.
The 17th edition of the lucrative league will kick off with a mouth-watering clash between the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Chennai on March 22. While MS Dhoni's Men will look to make it back-to-back titles after their thrilling win last year, RCB will hope this is the year they finally break through.
Speaking of Dhoni, his role as CSK's wicket-keeper often gets overlooked amidst his other incredible qualities. Apart from Dhoni, the glovemen of all ten sides also form the guts and glue that keep the players together and help oversee proceedings on the field.
The mini-auction at the end of last year saw some wicket-keeper movements and additions in most of the franchises, which could make a massive impact during the upcoming season.
On that front, let us rank the ten IPL 2024 teams based on the strength of their wicket-keeping options.
#10 Gujarat Titans
Last year's finalists, Gujarat Titans, have a potential weakness when it comes to wicket-keeping options. While they boast three glovemen in Wriddhiman Saha, Matthew Wade, and Robin Minz, each one poses more questions than answers.
Although there is no doubting Saha's skills behind the wicket, he endured a dismal season with the willow last year, averaging under 24 in 17 games. The veteran is also 39-years-old, and his ability to still be agile with the gloves while churning out game-changing batting performances remains to be seen.
As for Wade, he neither boasts much IPL experience nor noteworthy performances, with a lowly average of 15.70 in ten outings when he last played in 2022.
Meanwhile, the uncapped Robin Minz has been talked about highly, but at 21 with no prior IPL experience, the stage may be too big for him to produce the goods immediately.
#9 Royal Challengers Bangalore
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) possess only two wicket-keeping options, Dinesh Karthik and Anuj Rawat.
While Karthik has been among the most accomplished wicket-keeper batters in IPL history, he endured his worst season last year. The Tamil Nadu cricketer averaged a dismal 11.67 in 13 games with a highest score of only 30.
With little competitive cricket behind him over the past year, Karthik also announced the upcoming season as his last in the IPL. Hence, the hunger to earn another contract for subsequent seasons might also lessen, and nearing 39, Karthik may struggle to deliver in front of and behind the stumps.
Their other wicket-keeping option, Anuj Rawat, showed glimpses of talent last season, averaging over 30 in nine outings. However, with limited IPL experience, it may be too much of a burden on the 24-year-old to be the primary wicket-keeper if required.
#8 Mumbai Indians
Five-time title winners Mumbai Indians have only two Indian wicket-keeping options - Ishan Kishan and Vishnu Vinod.
Kishan will almost certainly start behind the stumps, but where he is mentally and form-wise with the bat and gloves will be worth watching. The 25-year-old has been the center of discussions after withdrawing himself during the South African tour at the end of last year, citing mental fatigue.
Whether the exclusion from the BCCI annual contract list adds to his fuel or leads to a drop-off could dictate MI's fortunes this season. Despite averaging over 30 in l IPL 2023, Kishan has struggled in T20Is recently, evidenced by his sub-20 average last season.
MI's other option, Vishnu Vinod, hasn't shown much in the IPL despite being a seasoned campaigner in the Indian domestic circuit. Last season, the 30-year-old played just three games for the side and averaged a below-par 12.33.
#7 SunRisers Hyderabad
SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) boast potentially the current best T20 batter as their wicket-keeper in Heinrich Klaasen. The swashbuckling South African was their best performer in an otherwise sorry season last year, scoring 448 runs at an average of almost 50 and a strike rate of 177.08.
However, the lack of a proven Indian wicket-keeping option remains the franchise's Achilles heel. The squad has a domestic star in Upendra Yadav, but the 27-year-old has yet to play an IPL game.
They do boast the part-time wicket-keeping option of Glenn Phillips, but the Kiwi star has established himself as arguably the best fielder in world cricket, leaving his chances of donning the gloves improbable.
#6 Kolkata Knight Riders
The recent addition of England's Phil Salt as a replacement for Jason Roy bolsters the wicket-keeping strength of the mercurial Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The franchise is one of the few boasting a solid cupboard of wicket-keepers.
Salt apart, KKR also has another overseas option in Rahmanullah Gurbaz and India's recent Test wicket-keeper KS Bharat. All three boast IPL and international experience, with Salt in tremendous T20I form with an average of over 56 last year for England.
Gurbaz is among the most sought-after T20 keepers in leagues worldwide, evidenced by his 163 games in the format. The addition of Bharat at the auction further bolsters their wicket-keeping strength.
Yet, none of the three performed anywhere close to their best in the IPL last season, and their batting form could dictate who plays as the side's primary wicket-keeper in IPL 2024.
#5 Chennai Super Kings
While it is undeniable that CSK possesses the most accomplished wicket-keeper of the IPL in MS Dhoni, their depth in the department is shockingly limited.
18-year-old uncapped Aravelly Avinash, with no IPL experience, is their only other Indian wicket-keeping option. New Zealand's Devon Conway is the lone overseas gloveman, but he is set to all but miss the entire IPL due to surgery on his injured thumb.
The top-heavy nature of CSK's wicket-keeping arsenal, led by Dhoni at 42-years-old, has them in the middle of the pack, even with the captaincy credentials of Dhoni factored in.
#4 Punjab Kings
Despite being among the least fancied sides in IPL 2024, wicket-keeping is one area the Punjab Kings (PBKS) needn't worry about.
With a solid overseas option in Jonny Bairstow and two game-changers in the Indian contingent, Jitesh Sharma and Prabhsimran Singh, PBKS has tremendous variety and pedigree among their keepers.
Following his impressive IPL stints in 2022 and 2023, Jitesh earned a spot in the Indian T20I side and has played nine games since his debut last year. Inconsistencies aside, Prabhsimran has established himself as a match-winner at the top of the order for PBKS, scoring a brilliant century in IPL 2023.
Prabhsimran has also displayed the knack of producing big scores in domestic cricket and will look to improve further on his IPL performances in the upcoming season.
#3 Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals (DC) boast as many as five wicket-keeping options, but none more valuable than their skipper Rishabh Pant, who will return after a 14-month layoff due to injury.
Pant aside, the squad also consists of two uncapped Indian players, Abhishek Porel and the highly talked-about Kumar Kushagra. DC's overseas keeping options of Shai Hope and Tristan Stubbs have also been in excellent recent form, with the latter setting the recently concluded SA20 on fire.
Yet, Pant regaining form behind the stumps and with the bat will likely determine DC's fortunes this season. If it is anything similar to his form before the injury, DC should be back as a force to reckon with this season.
#2 Lucknow Super Giants
The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) possess fire-power of the highest order in the wicket-keeping department with KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock, and Nicholas Pooran.
Rahul has been a perennial top-three leading run-scorer over the last few seasons, including winning the Orange Cap in 2020. His partnership with Quinton de Kock has provided the side with sensational starts over the previous two seasons, resulting in LSG qualifying for the playoffs in 2022 and 2023.
On the other hand, Pooran has been arguably the most in-form T20 batter over the last 12 months. The southpaw was the Player of the Series in West Indies' T20I series win over India in August last year. He also helped MI New York triumph in the inaugural Major League Cricket tournament last year with a blistering 137* off 55 in the grand finale.
The versatility and game-changing ability of their wicket-keepers make LSG a formidable unit.
#1 Rajasthan Royals
It is impossible to go past the Rajasthan Royals in wicket-keeping strength, with the side boasting match-winners aplenty in the squad.
For starters, their three likely starters, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, and Dhruv Jurel, rival the three from LSG on the match-winning and consistency front. While Buttler struggled for form in the 2023 IPL, he decimated bowling attacks en route to winning the Orange Cap with 863 runs the year before.
The odd questionable shot aside, Samson is among the rare match-winning Indian batters equally adept against pace and spin. Finally, Jurel has only gone from strength to strength following his impressive debut IPL season as RR's finisher last year.
His domestic performances, followed by the game-changing knocks in the recently concluded England Test series, should have the youngster sky-high in confidence.
Apart from the trio, RR also has the talented 21-year-old Kunal Singh Rathore from Rajasthan and T20 stalwart Tom Kohler-Cadmore from England. Despite the upcoming season being his IPL debut, Kohler-Cadmore has showcased his talents in various T20 leagues, scoring over 4,600 runs in 188 games.