The wicket keepers have for a long time been one of the major pillars and on some occasions, even the essential batsmen of the team, thus taking many milestones. Among these the names of Kumar Sangakkara and Adam Gilchrist are the ones that come first to our minds when we think of legendary wicketkeepers who have made their mark in history through their performances both behind and in front of the stumps.
A stunning record was made by Quinton de Kock when he played a fiery innings of 123 runs in the ODI on November 6 against Pakistan. He was immediately put in the company’s elite list of wicket-keepers who have scored the most centuries in ODIs. Why not have a look at the players who contributed to this extensive list.
Most Centuries By Wicket Keeper in ODIs
5. Jos Buttler – 11 centuries
Jos Buttler, the 35-year-old English wicketkeeper who has become a T20 world prince noticeable on his very first day, attracts attention with his ODI feats as well. He has been part of the England team since 2013 and played ODI matches, scoring runs at an average of 39.76, which gives a total of 5,289 runs.
His centuries’ count in ODIs as a wicket-keeper stands at 11, and he has also posted 28 fifties in the format. Buttler still very much plays a significant role in the England team as a batsman, though he is not behind the stumps as much as he used to be.
4. Adam Gilchrist – 16 centuries
‘Just hit the ball’ Adam Gilchrist was the soul of Australian cricket in the 2000s. The extravagant wicket keeper-batsman claimed to have 16 ODI centuries while being the wicket keeper, and during his career, he played 282 matches, scoring 9410 runs at an average of 35.64.
The astonishing wicketkeeper has to his credit 53 half-centuries as he has been the live cricket commentator since 2008. The career was an aggressive and explosive one, but ‘Gilly’ somehow lacked the finesse and athleticism as a keeper. But that didn’t stop him playing brute cricket which solidified the legacy of his batting as being one of the best in Australia’s history.
3. Shai Hope – 18 centuries
Shai Hope has quickly climbed to the top of the wicketkeeper batter list in terms of the number of centuries. The West-Indies have given Shai Hope 10 years of service and he has taken 18 centuries as a wicketkeeper in ODIs. His statistics show that he scored 5,916 runs at an average of 50.13 in 143 matches as a wicketkeeper.
Hope has also scored 30 half-centuries and he is still playing his explosive game as he currently is the top scorer for the West Indies in ODIs. Hope has been the captain of the ODI side since February 2023 and recently he was also awarded the T20I captaincy. It was Hope’s consistency across formats that propelled him this far on the elite list so rapidly with his gigantic run-scoring ability with the bat.
2. Quinton de Kock – 22 centuries
Quinton de Kock is the second player who has hit the most centuries as a wicketkeeper-batter in ODIs. He accomplished this amazing feat with his 22 centuries, the 22nd being against Pakistan in the second ODI on November 6. Pakistan set a target of 217, and Quinton de Kock was partnered by Lhuan-dre Pretorius at the top, who together scored 123 off 119 balls, where De Kock hit 8 fours and 7 sixes.
In the wicketkeeper position, De Kock has played 156 times and gathered 6,953 runs, including 31 half-centuries. There is no denying the consistency in De Kock’s game, his average of 46.97 in the wicketkeeper role speaks for itself, and he still gives the bowlers a hard time with his somewhat aggressive style of batting.
1. Kumar Sangakkara – 23 centuries
The Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batter, Kumar Sangakkara, the legendary one, leads the way with his incredible 23 centuries. He was born in Matale but was not as relentless in ODI cricket as he still played 360 matches to score 13,341 runs in his career with an average of 43.74 which also included 91 half-centuries.
Sangakkara is the one who is holding this record for a long time, and the elegant batsman has been growing slowly but surely since his first appearance in the sport in the year 2000. If you don’t know, Sangakkara was a part of 404 ODI games, and he made a whopping 14,234 runs with an average of 41.98, thus becoming one of the best in the history of cricket.
