The role of a wicket-keeper in cricket has changed a lot in the last few decades. The role has revolutionised from being solely a keeper to a wicket-keeper-batsman, the game has changed a lot. Young Team India cricketer Sanju Samson credited two wicket-keepers for changing the face of the gloveman.
Samson, who was a part of the India squad recently for the New Zealand tour picked Adam Gilchrist and MS Dhoni to revolutionise the role of wicket-keepers. Dhoni, in the last decade, has been the best finisher in the business. The 38-year-old has played 350 ODIs knocking over 10000 runs at a strike rate of 87.56, averaging 50.57.
Gilchrist and Dhoni revolutionised wicket-keeper’s role: Sanju Samson
On the other hand, Adam Gilchrist played a significant role for Australia in the first decade of the 2000s. He along with Matthew Hayden hammered the bowlers to score maximum runs in the first 10-15 overs. In 287 ODIs, the southpaw scored 9619 runs at a strike rate of 96.95.
The cricketer from Kerala while speaking about the role of wicket-keepers in modern days cricket, said that all of them are good batters today. Sanju Samson credited Adam Gilchrist and MS Dhoni for changing how the role was perceived in the 1900s.
“Wicket-keepers today are all top batsmen as well. You look around the world, most of the ‘keepers are very good batsmen. Adam Gilchrist changed the game for keepers coming up the order, MS Dhoni has done likewise in the middle-order,” Sanju Samson said to TOI.
“It is now almost a norm to have a wicketkeeper who is a very good top or middle-order batsman, as it helps the team add an extra bowler or all-rounder in the team,” he added.
Furthermore, Sanju Samson wants to pick MS Dhoni’s calmness and focus during tough situations. While Samson is making the right noises in domestic cricket, he is far from making his opportunities count in the international arena.
“MS Dhoni’s calmness and focus in tough situations is something that has influenced me. It is something that I would like to inculcate in my game as well and be calmer and more focussed while batting,” he added.
