Top 3 wicket-keeper batsmen of the 21st century

A steadily stacked pace attack, a solid batting order and an extraordinary fielding setup combined can still collapse without a genuine player behind the stumps. Innovation in the art of wicket-keeping is imperative in the 21st century if he does not possess extraordinary ability with the bat. The man with the gloves now has to do the double duty of wicket-keeper batsman with balanced panache and proficiency.

This vogue began with England's Les Ames, who was one of the first wicket-keepers also capable of playing as a batsman. In this era, every keeper is selected putting his batting efficiency as a criterion.

Here, we look at the talents who have restructured the roles of a wicket-keeper batsman since January 1, 2001.

#3 MS Dhoni

The label 'finisher of the decade' was created for and cemented by MS Dhoni. He wasn't a naturally gifted cricketer, but he overcame a few constraints and paved his way to become one of the most extraordinary ODI batsmen of all time.

Dhoni had a torrid start to his cricket career. In the series against Bangladesh, he tasted the bitterness of duck but displayed a decent show with the gloves. But all that changed in the fifth bout of his career, when he racked up his first ODI ton against Pakistan at Vishakhapatnam in 2004. After this showing, Dhoni didn't have to look back.

Dhoni was the steady hand that guided India in the closing stages of their epic World Cup final victory over Sri Lanka in 2011. Having also lifted the Champions Trophy and World T20, He became the only captain to win all the 3 major ICC tournaments. His keeping technique invited a lot of criticism from the cricket world. Nevertheless, he is among the most talented contenders behind the stumps.

International Career:

Matches: 515

Runs: 16,536

Average: 44.57

Catches: 620

Stumpings: 186