11 Best Women’s Wicket Keeper Legends in World Cricket

Wicketkeeping is a demanding job. You have to crouch behind the stumps for the entire innings. Your legs ache. Your concentration can never waver. The ball comes at you at different speeds and angles. You have to cleanly collect the ball every time. You have to stump batsmen in a fraction of a second. You do this for hours on end. One mistake is remembered. A hundred good catches are expected.

Eleven women have proven themselves to be among the greatest wicketkeepers in cricket history. They hail from Australia, South Africa, England, New Zealand, the West Indies, India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. They have more dismissals than anyone else. Some have taken more catches. Some have effected more stumpings. All were exceptional. Their statistics prove it. Their teams relied on them. When the ball came off the bat, these keepers were ready.

1. Alyssa Healy: The T20I Record Holder

Alyssa Healy is from Australia. She holds the record for the most dismissals in T20Is with 126, comprising 63 catches and 63 stumpings. This is the highest in women’s T20 Internationals, a record that remains unbroken.

In ODIs, she has 131 dismissals, including 119 catches and 12 stumpings. This places her among the top wicketkeepers in history. She is also a powerful top-order batter who opens the innings and scores runs quickly. She has won multiple World Cups.

Her record-breaking wicketkeeping in T20Is and powerful batting make her a complete modern wicketkeeper. She doesn’t just keep wickets; she changes the course of matches with her batting and her work behind the stumps.

2. Trisha Chetty: The ODI Leader

Trisha Chetty is from South Africa. She holds the record for the most dismissals by any female wicketkeeper in One Day Internationals, with a total of 182 dismissals. These included 144 catches and 38 stumpings. No one has achieved more dismissals than her in ODI cricket.

Her international career spanned fifteen years, from 2007 to 2022. She retired while still holding the record. Throughout those fifteen years, she maintained a formidable presence behind the stumps. In every match, she reliably performed her wicketkeeping duties. Catches were taken, and stumpings were made. The total number steadily increased until it reached 182.

Breaking that record would require an exceptional career with consistent selection over many years. Chetty has set a high standard.

3. Sarah Taylor: The Technical Master

Sarah Taylor is from England. She has 136 ODI dismissals to her name, including eighty-five catches and fifty-one stumpings. In T20Is, she has an incredible seventy-four stumpings, one of the highest totals ever.

She was the first woman to achieve 100 stumpings. She was a technically brilliant wicketkeeper; her glovework was studied by coaches. Her footwork was superb, and her hands were incredibly fast. She made even the most difficult stumpings look easy.

Stumping requires anticipation and speed. When the batter steps out of the crease, the wicketkeeper has to catch the ball and remove the bails before the batter can get back. Every split second counts. Taylor was faster than almost any other player, and her seventy-four T20I stumpings are a testament to that.

4. Beth Mooney: The Batter Who Keeps

Beth Mooney is from Australia. She is primarily known as a prolific run-scorer, having amassed over 2,465 T20I runs. But she also keeps wickets. According to some records, she has nearly 110 career dismissals across all formats.

She is a world-class wicketkeeper-batter. Her batting is top-notch, and her keeping is reliable. Teams value players who can perform well in multiple roles, and Mooney does just that. Her consistent glovework and big runs make her invaluable.

In modern cricket, there is a growing need for wicketkeepers who can also bat. Mooney is a prime example of this evolving role.

5. Rebecca Rolls: The Early Powerhouse

Rebecca Rolls is from New Zealand. She has 133 ODI dismissals to her name, including 94 catches and 39 stumpings. She ranks third on the all-time list for most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in women’s ODIs.

She was a formidable wicketkeeper in her time. Before modern training methods and equipment, she achieved 133 dismissals purely through her skill and dedication. She set standards that subsequent wicketkeepers have strived to emulate.

Being third on the all-time list for ODI dismissals is a remarkable achievement. Only Chetty and Taylor have more dismissals than her.

6. Jane Smit: The Pioneer

Jane Smit is from England. In her career, she achieved 114 ODI dismissals, comprising 69 catches and 45 stumpings. She is historically one of England’s top five wicketkeepers in ODIs.

She was a pioneer of excellent wicketkeeping in the 1990s and 2000s, a time when women’s cricket was less professional, training facilities were limited, and opportunities were scarce. Despite these challenges, Smit performed exceptionally well. Her 114 dismissals demonstrate consistent excellence over many years.

Her career helped to define what professional wicketkeeping could look like in women’s cricket.

7. Merissa Aguilleira: The West Indian Standard

Merissa Aguilera is from the West Indies. She has 102 dismissals in ODIs, including eighty-six catches and twenty-seven stumpings. In T20Is, she was one of the top wicketkeepers, with nearly seventy impressive dismissals in some rankings.

She was a long-serving wicketkeeper-batter for the West Indies. Teams from smaller cricketing nations often struggle to maintain consistency, but Aguilera did just that. Her more than one hundred ODI dismissals and strong T20I statistics demonstrate her dedication and skill across all formats.

8. Taniya Bhatia: India’s Modern Keeper

Taniya Bhatia is from India. She has nearly sixty-eight T20I dismissals to her name, including twenty-three catches and forty-five stumpings. This is the highest record for any Indian wicketkeeper in this format. In ODIs, she has approximately twenty-seven catches and nine stumpings.

She is a reliable modern wicketkeeper with excellent technique. Her forty-five T20I stumpings demonstrate her quick hands and sharp reflexes. She represents the current generation of Indian wicketkeepers who are setting high standards.

9. Richa Ghosh: The Rising Star

Richa Ghosh is from India. She is young. In the Women’s Premier League, she is one of the top wicketkeepers with thirty-three dismissals, including sixteen catches and seventeen stumpings.

She is an emerging dynamic wicketkeeper-batter for India. Her WPL statistics show that she is already excellent at the franchise level. Her international career has just begun. If she maintains her current standards for ten or fifteen years, she could challenge all-time records.

She also bats powerfully in the finishing overs. This combination of wicketkeeping and finishing skills makes her incredibly valuable.

10. Nigar Sultana Joty: Bangladesh’s Leader

Nigar Sultana Joty is from Bangladesh. She has played over a hundred T20I matches and taken many crucial wickets, including approximately twenty-six catches and sixteen stumpings.

She is a vital and agile wicketkeeper and captain for Bangladesh, contributing significantly to the team’s performance. Captaining Bangladesh requires extra responsibility due to the team’s limited resources compared to traditional cricketing powerhouses. Joty handles this pressure well. Her wicketkeeping has been consistently excellent, and her captaincy is helping to improve the team’s overall performance.

11. Sidra Nawaz: Pakistan’s Veteran

Sidra Nawaz is from Pakistan. She has nearly 93 ODI dismissals to her name, including 60 catches and 33 stumpings. She is a reliable T20I wicketkeeper and has been performing well for Pakistan for many years.

She is an experienced player across all formats. Her 93 ODI dismissals are a testament to her longevity and reliability. Pakistan women’s cricket has faced numerous challenges regarding funding and support, and Nawaz has consistently remained a part of the team through these difficult times.

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