Five wicketkeepers to watch out for in IPL 2024 

Today we discuss five wicketkeepers to watch out for in IPL 2024 as the seventeenth edition of the Indian Premier League approaches fast. A mini auction took place in December and the 10 franchises are set with their squads as they look to clinch the coveted IPL trophy this year. 

It is important to note that the role of wicket-keepers has changed from its traditional form. Keepers are no longer just the players picked for their abilities behind the wickets but for their batting. With the sport evolving super fast, teams generally prefer part-time wicket-keepers if it means they offer more with the bat. 

So let's take a look at some of the best wicket-keepers that will play a major role for their respective franchise in the IPL 2024.  

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Wicket-keepers with most runs in IPL 2023

Before we discuss the upcoming season, here is a list of wicket-keepers with the most runs in the previous edition of the league. 

Player Innings RunsAverage Strike rate50s100s
Ishan Kishan1545430.26142.763
Heinrich Klaasen 1144849.77177.0721
Wriddhiman Saha1737123.18129.262
Sanju Samson1436230.16153.383
Jitesh Sharma1430923.76156.06

Top five wicketkeepers to watch out for in IPL 2024

T20 cricket has evolved to a point where some of the teams have multiple wicketkeeper batters good enough to be part of the playing XI. The likes of Jos Buttler, Nicholas Pooran and Devon Conway play as specialist batters and for that reason, we won't consider them in the below list. 

Here's the list of wicketkeepers to watch out for in IPL:

Heinrich Klaasen 

wicketkeepers to watch out for in IPL
South Africa's Heinrich Klaasen takes the catch to dismiss Pakistan's Iftikhar Ahmed during the ICC World Cup match played between Pakistan and South Africa in Chennai. – Photo by Icon Sport

Heinrich Klaasen is arguably the best white-ball batter in the world in the last year or so. The South African wicketkeeper has taken his game to a whole new level. Some of his exploits were witnessed by Indian crowds as well when he produced some breathtaking knocks in the ODI World Cup. 

Klaasen was not the first-choice wicket-keeper for Sunrisers Hyderabad initially in the last season but was eventually brought in. He ended up being their best player with 448 runs at an average of nearly 50 while striking at 177. The South African batter smashed two fifties and a hundred in the IPL 2023. 

Talking about his recent form, Heinrich Klaasen was the second-highest run-getter in the recently concluded SA20. He smashed 447 runs in the season at an incredible strike rate of 208 while averaging 41, including four half-centuries and is one of the wicketkeepers to watch out for in IPL.

Quinton de Kock

Quinton de Kock missed the first couple of games for Lucknow Super Giants last season and he had to wait a long time for his turn. He only played four games in the season and made 143 runs with one fifty. Having retired from all international cricket, QDK should be available for the IPL 2024 from the beginning. 

De Kock had an outstanding ODI World Cup campaign for South Africa but couldn't carry that form into the recent SA20. He made 213 runs from 12 innings in the season at an average of less than 20, with only one fifty. 

The left-hand wicketkeeper can turn things around and do well. In the IPL 2022, he amassed 508 runs in the season at an average of 36 while striking at 149. De Kock struck one century and three half-centuries in that season.

Jitesh Sharma

Jitesh Sharma made his international debut for India in October on the back of a couple of impressive IPL seasons. He played nine games but the numbers didn't reflect his potential. Playing a lower middle-order role in T20 cricket is the toughest task for any batter and Jitesh Sharma showed a good range of shots in his stint with Punjab Kings. 

Jitesh Sharma played 10 matches in the IPL 2022 and made 234 runs at an average of 29 while striking at 164. In the following season, he made 309 runs at an average of 24 and a strike rate of 156. 

The 30-yr will be the designated keeper for Punjab in the upcoming season whether Jonny Bairstow makes it to the side or not. With a T20 World Cup spot up for grabs, Jitesh will be one of the wicketkeepers to watch out for in IPL 2024.

Sanju Samson 

Sanju Samson has been leading the Rajasthan Royals side for three years and has done a decent job, taking them to a final once. Samson takes the gloves despite Jos Buttler being in the team. It doesn't make much difference as both are athletic. 

As for Samson’s batting, he has been pretty consistent in the last few years with several good seasons. In the previous edition, Samson scored 362 runs from 14 innings at an average of 30 while striking at 153. He hit three half-centuries in the season. 

Since 2018, Samson has amassed 2462 runs in the IPL at an average of 32 and a strike rate of 145. Rajasthan Royals would be hoping for a blockbuster season from their skipper. 

Ishan Kishan 

The Mumbai Indians wicket-keeper landed in hot water after he opted for a mental health break. Ishan Kishan was recently spotted training with his new MI captain Hardik Pandya which didn't sit well with the Indian board. There have been rumours that the board could set a minimum first-class game criteria for Indian players to be eligible to play in the IPL.

Kishan will have to leave this behind him when he takes the field in the upcoming IPL season. Last year, Kishan had a pretty good campaign with 454 runs at an average of 30 while striking at 143. The left-hand batter smashed three half-centuries in the season.

Ishan is the first-choice wicket-keeper for Mumbai Indians and he will be hoping for a great IPL 2024 to push his case for the T20 World Cup. With the spotlight on him after recent controversy, Kishan will be one of the wicketkeepers to watch out for in IPL 2024. 

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A strong believer in the fact that Kohli and Paes are the greatest Indian superstars!