Four Wicket-Keepers Who Could Carry On MSD’s Legacy

Wicketkeeper-batsman or batsman-wicketkeeper? This question has haunted Indian cricket board more than anything else in the recent past.

Be it the golden era of the ‘Fab Four’ led by the visionary Dada, the short reign of the Wall, or the recent Kohli revolution at the horizon of Captain Cool’s empire, India had always been haunted in its search for the perfect wicketkeeper who could be a handy bat down the order.

Things seemed to have finally fallen in place when the man with a unique hairstyle slammed the Lankan bowling giants for a record-breaking 183* at Sawai Man Singh Stadium in Jaipur, 2005. A fairytale ensured next and in the next decade, the world witnessed an Indian cricket renaissance!

But, with dream runs and trophies, one other thing drifts away—time! Because, as we all know the clichéd but harsh truth—time and tide wait for none. After a decade and a half since the advent of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India finds itself again at the same critical juncture, especially for the longer format of the game.

In today’s T20 era, one can expect for sure that short-time blasters would be all over the place. With Indian cricketers now being more exposed to global cricketing standards, India would seldom have a headache to find a wicketkeeper in the T20 format and ODIs.

This has more been pronounced due to the growing tendencies of cricket players to prolong their careers by playing fewer and shorter formats.

It’s understandable since shorter formats not only drain a player less in fitness terms, it provides much better financial boosts to players that have given their all to the game only to find themselves at sea where millions are striving for that one coveted wicketkeeper berth in the Indian national team.

Test cricket is a different ball game together, it’s a battle-field. While playing Tests for India is sure a dream for many, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. For that you shouldn’t be only technically advanced and command impeccable knowledge of the game, you should have a God-gifted temperament too.

This was exactly the reason why MSD could take himself to an altogether different level, he was gifted with a rare talent and a prodigiously cool mind that only few could claim in the history of Indian sports.

Hence, post-Dhoni’s retirement in Tests 4 years back and a tumultuous affair with the wicketkeeper berth only exacerbated by the gifted yet injury-prone Wriddhiman Saha, it has become imperative to ponder who could be India’s mighty warrior behind the wickets in the 5-day format.

Here’s a compilation of the four players that hold promise in fitting into Dhoni’s shoes in the long run:

#1 KL Rahul

Australia v India - 2nd Test: Day 4

Conjuring up a fairytale debut series than most could fathom, this stylish batsman has been on the news recently for completely opposite reasons. However, despite missed hits and low scoring tenures at the crease, one can’t simply deny his exceptional talent and technical finesse, the depth he brings to the Indian batting squad.

The only one reason that makes him rank lowest in this list is his comparatively lesser wicket-keeping skills and his batting vulnerabilities. He sure has to ramp up before the board’s and his mighty captain’s faith in him starts waning.

#2 Sanju Samson

Australia 'A' v India 'A' - Quadrangular Series Final

A young prodigy announcing himself to the world during his exploits with the Rajasthan Royals, he has grown to be a much more mature and technically sound player since then.

In a rather unique achievement for any player, he was appointed as the captain of the Kerala Ranji team, becoming the youngest captain in the side’s history. In the last Ranji season, he was the highest run scorer for Kerala, having scored at a phenomenal average.

#3 Ishan Kishan

ECB XI v India A - Tour Match

Another fine young talent coming from the inspiring sands of Jharkhand after the legend himself, Ishan Kishan has proved his mettle more than once in the past couple of years.

A testament to his promise was the exemplary final bid made by Mumbai Indians last year to grab him from their peers. This promising kid is good behind the stumps and has a staggering batting average in the red ball format.

#4 Rishabh Pant

Australia v India - 2nd Test: Day 5

This young talent and the current Indian wicketkeeper for Tests and T20Is, has been sailing the stardom seas for a while now.

Known for his batting flamboyance and wicket-keeping wit, Pant seems to be the best choice at the instant, provided he fine-tunes his temperament to convert those thirties into fifties and longer. Rishabh Pant is touted to be the next big thing in India, only time knows.