Top 5 highest scores by wicketkeepers in ODIs

The job description for the post of a wicketkeeper has added a few more columns over the years. Now, your resume doesn’t just have to be a lengthy narrative of your skills behind the stumps. Keepers of the present age need to bat, and bat well. Crafty glove-posers are a feature of the bygone era.

The condensed formats demand all the more from these unique species, for they need to balance the team composition and reprise the role of a batsman too. In the last two decades, a number of flashy wicketkeepers have emerged, doubling as attacking batsmen who can enter any side based on their batting, and batting alone.

Here are the top five scores by wicketkeepers in ODIs

#5 Kumar Sangakkara, 169 vs South Africa, 2013

Blessed with a graceful batting technique and a knack to sniff out gaps in the field, Kumar Sangakkara handled the double, sometimes triple role of carrying Sri Lanka’s batting and wicketkeeping duties, apart from captaining them. He is one of the handful of cricketers who have managed to score more than 10,000 runs in both Tests and ODIs.

Known for his calm and measured batting, Sangakkara donned an aggressive demeanour against South Africa in an ODI in 2013, carting a career-best 169 to rocket Sri Lanka to a score of 320, and eventually win them the match.

He started steadily, playing the ball on merit, before singling out the left arm spinners Aaron Phangiso and Robin Peterson, using his feet to target the midwicket boundary. As the innings progressed, he looked in his zone against the pacers, shuffling across to make room and carve them on both the off and leg side.

This is also the third highest score by a Sri Lankan in ODIs, behind Sanath Jayasuriya’s 189 and Upul Tharanga’s unbeaten 174.

#4 Luke Ronchi, 170 vs Sri Lanka, 2015

Ronchi became the second oldest ODI centurion for the Black Caps.

The current Kiwi keeper, who formerly played for Australia, is increasingly being identified as one of the better players of spin in the New Zealand line-up. Included for this Test series in India, Ronchi has looked in fine form, anchoring the middle-order with his assured strokeplay.

The 35-year old, who is more talented than is reflected by his mid-20s batting average, brought his A-game to the fore during an ODI against Sri Lanka earlier last year, helping himself to an unbeaten 170, the highest score by a number 7 in ODIs.

The Kiwis stumbled to a poor start, losing their first four wickets for just 84 runs. Helped along by a wayward bowling display by the Lankans, Ronchi combined with Grant Elliott for a 267-run stand, also becoming the second oldest centurion for the Black Caps.

#3 Adam Gilchrist, 172 vs Zimbabwe, 2004

The Zimbabweans were listless against a rampaging Gilchrist

When the Gilchrist bandwagon gets going, there is pretty much nothing that the opposition can do. On his day, he is does irreparable damage to the other side, punishing even the slightest of errors to the fence.

And that is exactly what he did against Zimbabwe in 2004, cutting, pulling and driving his way to 172 runs worth of merriment. At a time when Zimbabwe boasted of their best bowling lineup, Gilchrist spared no one, especially the spinners, whom he consistently swept to the boundary.

Post his departure on 172, the Australians lost their track, faltering from 310-2 to 344-7, although they still managed to bag the match by 144 runs.

#2 Quinton de Kock, 178 vs Australia, 2016

De Kock became the fastest to 11 ODI centuries

The latest entrant to this list, Quinton de Kock, is one of the brightest young talents on display in world cricket, showing maturity way ahead of his age.

Short in height but quick on his feet, De Kock has no apparent weakness in his game, as displayed during his whirlwind knock against the Australians at Centurion last month, becoming the fastest ever to compile 11 ODI hundreds.

He reached his century in the 23rd over itself, pulling a short ball by debutant Daniel Worrall to the deep midwicket fence to reach the milestone. Post reaching the three-figure mark, he started looking more aggressive, targeting the leg-side in his 113-ball knock that contained as many as 11 sixes.

South African won by a canter, usurping the 295-run target with 82 balls to spare.

#1 Mahendra Singh Dhoni, 183* vs Sri Lanka, 2005

The unbeaten 183 thrust Dhoni into international stardom

This is the knock that, hands-down, changed Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s career for the better, launching him into stardom just like one of the 10 sixes he hit that day.

In an intrepid display of unabashed batting, Dhoni took the Lankan attack to the cleaners, smashing an unbeaten 183, the then second highest score by an Indian in ODIs.

Promoted up the order after playing the role of a finisher in the preceding matches, Dhoni started attacking, and kept attacking, not holding back with his unconventional, yet highly effective strokes.

Upul Chandana was treated like a grade-level spinner, Farveez Maharoof lost his bearings and the outfielders played the role of spectators as Dhoni went berserk, making a mockery of the 299-run target.