Former Australia stumper places MS Dhoni at No. 5 while blind ranking legendary keeper-batters

Former Australian wicketkeeper-batter Brad Haddin has placed MS Dhoni at No. 5, as he blindly ranked legendary glovemen from the named thrown at him. Haddin, who played for Australia in all three formats, ranked fellow countryman Adam Gilchrist at No. 1, but added that he expected Ian Healy to be among the options given to him and he would have been his top wicketkeeper.

Dhoni, who served as Team India's captain for nine years across formats, has the third-highest number of dismissals in international cricket with 829. Haddin, 47, ranked Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara, who has 678 international dismissals, at No. 4. South Africa's Mark Boucher occupied the second spot, having affected the most international dismissals, 998. England's Jack Russell got the third spot on Haddin's list with 212 dismissals, though the 62-year-old didn't play T20Is. Gilchrist, who is second on the all-time dismissal list with 905 of them, was ranked first.

While speaking to journalist Adam Peacock on the 'LiSTNR Sport' podcast, Haddin said:

"You know what I was worried about? I was waiting for (number) one for Healy. And I was thinking 'Ok, Healy's coming.' He didn't come. I thought he was the most pure gloveman I've ever seen."

Haddin, meanwhile, affected 474 dismissals in 226 international games from 2001 to 2015.

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MS Dhoni likely to return for IPL next year

MS Dhoni during IPL 2025 game. (Credits: Getty)

Dhoni retired from international cricket in 2020 but continues to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL). At 44, the Indian legend is likely to return for the 2026 edition.

The keeper-batter, who plays for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), is the custodian of several IPL records, including the most matches played in history, most matches as captain, and most games won as captain. Having won five titles for the Super Kings, he is also the joint-most successful IPL skipper with Mumbai Indians' Rohit Sharma.

Nevertheless, the 2025 edition was a forgettable one for the Super Kings, as they finished at the bottom of the points table.