Wicket Keeper with Most Stumpings in IPL History

Dinesh Karthik Stumpings in IPL

In its history of 12 years, the Indian Premier League has seen some mesmerizing innings with the bat, some magnificent spells with the ball, and some extraordinary catches in the field. But amidst all that, stumpings are something that is often neglected. The thankless job that the wicket-keepers do go a long way in deciding the outcome of a match.

A missed stumping might result to many costly runs and even a defeat in the shortest format of the game, where one needs to grab whatever chance is coming his way. Hence, having a crafted pair of hands behind the wicket is extremely crucial for a team to do well in one of the most popular cricketing events of the world. Over the years, IPL has seen some spectacular wicket-keepers pull off out worldly stuff from behind the stumps.

Let us have a look at the 5 wicket-keepers who have the most number of stumpings in IPL:

#1. Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings)

Mahendra Singh Dhoni Stumpings in IPL

The three-time winner of the competition, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been a crucial part of the Chennai Super Kings franchise since their inception. He has been phenomenal with the bat, and has also done a great job with the keeping gloves. He holds the record for the maximum number of stumpings in IPL. In 189 matches, Dhoni has inflicted 38 stumpings. He has made an average of 0.83 dismissals per game.

#2. Robin Uthappa (Rajasthan Royals)

Robin Uthappa Stumpings in IPL

This mention in a list of five wicket-keepers with most stumpings in IPL might surprise quite a few. The reason for that is, though Robin Uthappa has been playing in IPL ever since the start of the tournament, he has not played many matches as a wicket-keeper. However, he indeed was crucial behind the stumps during his golden days for Kolkata Knight Riders. During that period, Uthappa took loads of catches and was also involved in a lot of run-outs. But more than those, Uthappa was the man behind 32 stumpings. Despite playing lot less matches than Dhoni as a wicket-keeper, Uthappa has only 6 less stumpings than the veteran keeper. He has dismissals per match number of 0.71.

#3. Dinesh Karthik (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Dinesh Karthik Stumpings in IPL

From an ex-Kolkata Knight Riders, we move on to the current skipper of the side from the city of joy. Dinesh Karthik is the third entrant in the list of top five wicket-keepers with most stumpings in IPL. Unlike Uthappa, Karthik has always been a recognized wicket-keeper for his franchises. Karthik has made 30 stumpings in the tournament so far. He has dismissals per game figure of 0.84, which is better than Dhoni’s tally. But more than stumpings, Karthik is known for the record number of catches by a wicket-keeper in IPL – 109.

#4. Wriddhiman Saha (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Wriddhiman Saha Stumpings in IPL

Amongst the five mentions in this list, Wriddhiman Saha has played the least number of matches. The reason for that is not a late start, for Saha has been a part of the tournament since its inception in 2008. However, unlike the previous mentions, Saha has often failed to make himself a permanent member of a side’s first-choice XI. He has played very few matches in the phase from 2011 to 2013 and was under-used last year as well. However, in the limited chances, he has got, India’s Test wicket-keeper has proven his calibre behind the stumps. In the 120 games Saha has featured in so far, he has inflicted 19 stumpings. He has dismissals per match figure of 0.70.

#5 Parthiv Patel (Royal Challengers Bangalore) & Adam Gilchrist (retired)

Parthiv Patel Stumpings in IPL

The second-last entrant in our list is a veteran of the tournament, who still looks as if he made his debut yesterday. Though Parthiv Patel never might have had a wonderful season where he scored 400+ runs, he has always been handy for whichever franchise he has played in. Patel’s average has dropped under 20 on rare occasions, and he has also been instrumental for the sides with his nifty glove-work. In 139 matches, Parthiv Patel has made 16 stumpings. He has dismissals per match figure of 0.69, which is the lowest in our list.

Patel is tied in our list alongside former Deccan Chargers skipper Adam Gilchrist. The Australian wicket-keeper lead the now-defunct franchise to their title-winning run in 2009. Despite playing only 80 games, Gilchrist makes into this list which speaks volume about his influence behind the stumps. He also has inflicted 16 stumpings. However, he has the best dismissals per game number amongst the six-player in this list. In every game, Gilchrist inflicted around 0.94 dismissals. Though it has been quite a while since he retired, other keepers have failed to climb above him on the list.