There is no denying that MS Dhoni and Adam Gilchrist are two of the best wicket-keepers of all-time. Gilchrist redefined modern-day cricket with his sublime skills behind the stumps. While he was a master of glove work, the legendary southpaw was also a terrific batsman. Gilchrist was a vital cog of the Australian side across formats throughout his career and played a crucial role in helping his team win the back-to-back World Cups in 1999, 2003 and 2007.
Also, Dhoni on a couple of occasions admitted that Gilchrist was his wicket-keeping hero growing up. However, the former Indian captain made a name for himself with his unorthodox skills behind the stumps. Dhoni was not so quick behind the wickets at the start of his cricketing career, but as he gained experience, the Ranchi-born cricketer became the best in this decade.
From lightning-fast stumpings to no-look run-outs, Dhoni has left his fans and opponents in awe of his brilliance.
Overall, Gilchrist inflicted 905 dismissals as a wicket-keeper in international cricket, while Dhoni has 829 dismissals to his name. In fact, Dhoni is currently at the third position in the list of most dismissals as a wicket-keeper. South African veteran Mark Boucher is right at the top of the list with a staggering 998 dismissals under his belt.
When asked to make his pick between Gilchrist and Dhoni as the better cricket, former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed chose Dhoni. A wicket-keeper batsman himself, Sarfaraz witnessed Dhoni’s masterclass whenever he led Pakistan against India in Asia Cup or ICC tournaments.
“MS Dhoni or Adam Gilchrist – A better cricketer?” Sarfaraz was asked by the interview Anis Sajan for his show Cricket Talk. “MS Dhoni,” came the reply from the former Pakistan skipper, who has been named in the 29-member squad for the Test and T20I series in England in August-September.
Sarfaraz hasn’t played for Pakistan since being removed as captain after his team suffered a whitewash at home in a three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka.