This is a good one as we now will compare the two best right handed wicket keeper batters to have played the sport in the last 30+ years and we will try to see who is the best of these 2. I have loved seeing these 2 do their thing especially MS Dhoni because he was not a traditional wicket keeper and he brought his own style which is now being taken up by the young keepers. Mark Boucher is an inspiration to all the young kids in South Africa who want to be a wicket keeper.
Before we talk about these 2 and their stats I have to compliment India that they have successfully managed to fill the void left by MS Dhoni because those are big shoes to fill but Rishabh Pant is the one for the future and In test cricket he has gone past his idol. And Mark Boucher is irreplaceable as of this moment even after retiring 10 years ago. Let’s look at their stats.
Mark Boucher
We have talked so much about this great player that I will have to find new words to describe him and his greatness but I will say this that no matter how many times I write about this incredible player, it will never be enough. I wish he could have played more if not for that eye injury that he sustained in 2012 which ended his career.
Test Cricket
Mark Boucher is one of the most prolific test cricket wicket keeper batters of all time with 147 test matches and I don’t think any other keeper has played this much. In the 147 test matches that he played Scored 5515 runs at an average of 30.30 which is good considering he came to bat lower down the order. He has made 5 test hundreds with a highest score of 125 and as a wicket keeper he has taken the most 532 catches and only 23 Stumpings.
ODI Cricket
The story is the same in ODI Cricket as Mark Boucher played 295 ODI Matches and In these matches he made 4686 runs at an average of 28.57 with 1 ODI Hundred in his career. And as a wicket keeper he took 403 catches and again only 22 Stumpings.
MS Dhoni
What do I say about MS Dhoni that has not already been said and I have to write one more article related to him in these wicket keeper stats articles so I will say this that MS Dhoni has changed the way Indian cricket is looked at because he made India win everything in his tenure as captain and he was the man who could do no wrong.
Test Cricket
Even though test cricket was not his most cherished format he did really well in it. He played 90 Test Matches in his career and in those he scored 4876 runs at a very good average of 38.09 considering he came to bat lower down the order. He has made 6 teat hundreds with a highest score of 224. And as a wicket keeper he took 256 catches and 38 Stumpings.
ODI Cricket
This was the format where he was the most successful because he played so much. He played 350 ODI matches and in those he made a whopping 10773 runs at a mind blowing average of 50.77 which is absolutely phenomenal. He has 10 ODI hundreds to his name with a highest score of 183. As a wicket keeper he took 321 Catches and a record 123 Stumpings. Take a look here at Best innings of MS Dhoni
Mark Boucher vs MS Dhoni Stats Comparison
As Batter in Test Cricket
As Wicketkeeper in Test Cricket
As Batter in ODI Cricket
As Wicketkeeper in ODI Cricket
Conclusion
As a batter MS Dhoni has an edge over Mark Boucher because he has scored 15000+ International runs which is 5000 more runs that of Mark Boucher and he has more hundreds. As a wicketkeeper Mark Boucher is ahead in both test and ODI cricket as far as catches are concerned but when it comes to Stumpings there is no one at the level of MS Dhoni.
Also Read:
MS Dhoni vs Adam Gilchrist – Stats Comparison as Wicket Keeper and Batter
Adam Gilchrist vs Kumar Sangakkara – Stats Comparison as Wicket Keeper and Batter