IPL 2020: Ranking the wicketkeeping-batsmen of the teams

The franchises are gearing up for well for IPL 2020 and the new signings of the various teams have been closely monitored by the coaching staff.

Players like Tom Banton, Joshua Phillipe, and Alex Carey have been doing very well in the Big Bash League and can push for a place in the starting XI. It's no coincidence that they all are wicketkeepers.

This is because the players behind the stumps play such an important role in the T20 format and teams often spend a lot of cash on them.

On that note, let's take a look at the various wicketkeepers in the squads of each team and rank them.

Note: The T20 format gives more importance to batting and hence, the players are ranked based on their batting prowess, and not their keeping technique.

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#8 Royal Challengers Bangalore

Joshua Phillipe has been doing well for the Sydney Sixers.

Wicketkeeping Options: Parthiv Patel, Shahbaz Ahmad, and Joshua Phillipe(Overseas)

RCB have the weakest set of wicketkeepers in the league and we'll likely get to see the same in action during the games.

Their first choice option will be Parthiv Patel and the southpaw hasn't done enough with the bat. He flourished only during the powerplay overs and wasn't able to carry on after that. He made 373 runs last season at an impressive strike-rate of 139.17 but a rather dour average of 26.64. He's decent in his wicketkeeping, though and doesn't make too many errors.

Uncapped Shahbaz Ahmad is the Indian backup option for Patel and he has a decent domestic record.

Joshua Phillipe has been in great touch in BBL 2019 and has been the highest runscorer for the Sydney Sixers. The uncapped Aussie keeper is, however, untested and hasn't played outside home conditions.

Final Verdict: RCB has an average first-choice keeper and a couple of untested backups. They're the weakest of all.

#7 Chennai Super Kings

Jagadeesan is an exciting prospect

Wicket-keeping options: MS Dhoni and Narayan Jagadeesan

While this might certainly anger certain people, it's the truth. MS Dhoni hasn't been the same player we have known and after his sabbatical, we just don't know what to expect.

Dhoni had a good IPL 2019 both with bat and behind the stumps but his strike-rate of 134.62 showed that he was out of his prime. Dhoni didn't satisfy expectations in the World Cup and hasn't featured for India since the semifinals of the tournament. While there's no doubt about his abilities or what he has done in the past, it just seems doubtful that he can replicate his form from previous seasons.

Narayan Jagadeesan has been CSK's backup keeper for the last couple of seasons and a player of his quality certainly deserves more game time. The TN keeper is very versatile and could come in as a specialist batsman if not as a keeper.

Final Verdict: The current form of MS Dhoni makes CSK's set of wicket-keepers a bit uncertain.

#6 Kolkata Knight Riders

Tom Banton hasn't played in the subcontinent before.

Wicket-Keeping options: Dinesh Karthik, Nikhil Naik and Tom Banton(Overseas)

After shelling out a whopping ₹15.5 Crore for Pat Cummins in the auction, KKR made a great cut-price signing by getting Tom Banton for ₹1 Crore. Though unproven, Banton is an exciting option and should slot in as their opening batsman if Sunil Narine doesn't fire. He's also a decent wicket-keeper.

Skipper Dinesh Karthik will be the side's main keeper and is expected to bat at various positions according to the situation. He's a very versatile and flexible batsman and is safe behind the stumps.

Karthik didn't have a great IPL 2019 and continued in the same vein in the World Cup. But he dug in hard and played well for Tamil Nadu and led them to the finals of the Vijay Hazare and the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy with solid performances. He's in decent form before the tournament and it'll be interesting to see how he does this time around.

Nikhil Naik serves as backup for DK.

Final Verdict: Dinesh Karthik will be the key for KKR this season though Tom Banton could prove to be a great option.

#5 Mumbai Indians

Aditya Tare's six helped MI to qualify for the playoffs in IPL 2015.

Wicket-Keeping Options: Quinton De Kock(Overseas), Aditya Tare, and Ishan Kishan

Mumbai Indians are probably the strongest side ahead of next season and look to be on course to defend their title. Part of the reason is their decent list of wicketkeepers which is led by Quinton De Kock.

De Kock is one of the best catchers behind the stumps, and he has taken many stunners in his career. He also had a good IPL 2019 and scored 529 runs from 16 matches at a solid average of 35.26 and decent strike-rate of 132.91. The strike-rate is a bit worrying, though. He hasn't been able to score as briskly as on international duty and sometimes, he has struggled to make runs even after he has settled in.

The Indian backup options are decent ones although they have the potential to become stars. Aditya Tare has been a consistent contributor for the Mumbai domestic side but he hasn't been able to replicate his success in the IPL.

Ishan Kishan was once the frontrunner to replace MS Dhoni but a sub-par run of games, both in the domestic circuit and in the IPL has led to him falling behind in the race. He wasn't able to get going last season and struggled to play the big shots. It'll be interesting to see how the talented youngster performs this year.

Final Verdict: MI has a good overseas keeper and a couple of talented Indian options as a backup.

#4 Sunrisers Hyderabad

Bairstow had a great debut season

Wicket-Keeping Options: Jonny Bairstow (Overseas), Wriddhiman Saha, and Shreevats Goswami

SRH had the best opening pair last season, and Jonny Bairstow, the English wicketkeeper, was brilliant alongside David Warner. Bairstow, who left midway last season owing to national duty, is expected to stay for the full duration this season and will be key for SRH.

He scored 455 runs in just 10 games at a brilliant strike-rate of 157.24 and should try to continue in the same vein of form. But he has gone through a lean patch since the World Cup and his scores haven't been that great.

The Indian options are decent with Wriddhiman Saha and Shreevats Goswami in the squad. Saha is a pretty decent T20 batsman against popular belief and can flourish if he bats at the top of the order. SRH should try to give him some game time as that would allow them to play an overseas player elsewhere.

Goswami is a consistent contributor for Bengal along with Saha and is a handy backup option.

Final Verdict: SRH has a brilliant overseas keeper and a couple of good Indian options who have the potential to do better.

#3 Delhi Capitals

Pant's pyrotechnics is expected to continue this season.

Wicket-Keeping Options: Rishabh Pant and Alex Carey (Overseas)

The Delhi Capitals has a very strong side ahead of next season and their Indian core is a major reason for that. Rishabh Pant, especially, will be very important to their success.

Pant has been gaining form over the last couple of series and is slowly turning into the player India wants him to become. His IPL form over the last couple of seasons has been terrific. His breakthrough season was in 2018 when he scored a whopping 684 runs in just 14 matches at an astounding strike-rate of 173.60. He followed it up with 488 runs in 2019 at a strike-rate of 162.66.

The Capitals bought Australian limited-overs keeper Alex Carey in the auction for ₹2.4 Crore, and he could turn out to be a very smart buy.

Carey has made a name for himself with his consistency and flexibility. He can open the batting as well as bat in the middle order and can change gears very quickly. He could come into play if the openers fail or if an injury occurs.

Final Verdict: DC has a brilliant Indian keeper, and a solid overseas option to back him up.

#2 Kings XI Punjab

Rahul looks to be in good space ahead of next season

Wicket-Keeping Options: KL Rahul, Nicholas Pooran(Overseas), and Prabhsimran Singh

Kings XI Punjab looks a competitive side ahead of next season thanks to smart buys in the auction from Head Coach, Anil Kumble.

Keeper-batsman KL Rahul will be leading Punjab for the next season and he seems to be ready to do so. This decision comes on the back of his terrific performance in the last couple of seasons in the IPL, and his great form in international duty. While he isn't a proper keeper, he doesn't make many errors and is a safe option.

Rahul was the third-highest run-scorer in IPL 2018 and finished as the second-highest run-scorer in IPL 2019. He has shown great flexibility in his batting approach and is the highest-ranked Indian batsman in the ICC T20I Rankings, and rightfully so. Teenager Prabhsimran Singh serves as a backup option for Rahul.

Caribbean sensation, Nicholas Pooran, adds to the strength of this side. Pooran has been brilliant for the Windies in international fixtures and has developed his game a lot over the last year. He showed glimpses of his true potential in IPL 2019 scoring 158 runs in seven games at a great strike-rate of 157.00.

Final Verdict: KXIP has a top Indian keeper in KL Rahul and an explosive option in Nicholas Pooran. The duo can succeed this season.

#1 Rajasthan Royals

Buttler has been a vital cog for RR.

Wicket-Keeping Options: Jos Buttler(Overseas), Sanju Samson, and Anuj Rawat

Seeing the Royals at the top of the ranking might surprise many but if we take a closer look at the stats of Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson, we can see that it's well justified.

Buttler is probably the most adaptable overseas player in the IPL and does well in all conditions and surfaces. His stats in the IPL has been terrific and has scored 1386 runs in just 45 games at a solid average of 35.53, and great strike-rate of 150.81. He's also great behind the stumps and is arguably the best overseas keeper in the league.

Sanju Samson is an exceptional talent and is a guaranteed starter in this RR side. His consistency in the IPL has grown over the years, and he had a great 2019 season. He had a tremendous domestic season, even scoring a double hundred in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He has broken into the Indian national team and is sure to gain confidence ahead of the IPL.

20-year-old Anuj Rawat has done well for Delhi in the domestic circuit and should be an option to lean back on. Robin Uthappa is a part-time keeper and is another backup option.

Final Verdict: RR has a tremendous overseas keeper and a solid Indian option along with a couple of solid backup options.