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England wicket-keeper batter Jos Buttler was recently tasked with blind-ranking wicket-keepers from different eras. The former skipper was asked to rank the likes of Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock and himself, without knowing who the next name would be. Buttler’s choices, particularly his placement of the legendary Dhoni, have since sparked a massive debate among fans in the comment sections.
Jos Buttler’s blind ranking of wicketkeepers with no MS Dhoni in top 3
In the blind ranking challenge, a video uploaded by Lancashire cricket on their Instagram page, Buttler did not hesitate to give Pant the top spot. Pant has already built an impressive record in a short span. In Test cricket, he has 171 dismissals, which include 156 catches and 15 stumpings. In T20Is, he has added 51 dismissals, while in ODIs, he has 28 to his name. The blind ranking also brought some interesting placements for other greats.
South African icon De Villiers, who has 463 dismissals as a keeper in international cricket, was slotted at No.3. Buttler himself admitted he had ‘messed it up’ when ABD’s name appeared. De Kock was rated highly and secured the No.2 spot. The left-hander has 560 dismissals to his name and is still considered one of the best modern-day wicketkeepers. Buttler, showing humility, put himself at No.5 despite having 512 dismissals in his career so far. Despite being widely regarded as one of the best wicketkeepers in cricket history, Dhoni was placed only at No.4. The decision shocked fans as Dhoni has a superb record of 829 dismissals, which includes 634 catches and 195 stumpings across formats.
Here’s the video:
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While Buttler’s ranking has left many scratching their heads, he has previously expressed immense admiration for Dhoni. Dhoni was not just known for his glove work but also for his tactical brilliance as a captain and his legendary finishing ability with the bat. His super-fast stumpings and calm demeanor under pressure defined a generation of cricket. He is also the only captain to have won all three major ICC trophies. Meanwhile Pant played some stellar knocks during the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 . Pant recorded 479 runs in four Tests at an average of 68.42, before sustaining a broken foot during the fourth Test at Old Trafford. Buttler’s call to put Pant ahead of him has left many scratching their heads, but it is clear that the England star holds a high opinion of the young Indian wicketkeeper’s fearless approach to the game.
