Cricket has evolved greatly through the years and so has the role of the wicketkeeper. The role is much more than catching and stumping wicket keepers are renowned figures today and key batters, leaders and game-changers.

Legends such as Kumar Sangakkara, Adam Gilchrist, and MS Dhoni proved that a wicketkeeper is just as vital with the bat as they are behind the stumps. Contemporary players including Quinton de Kock, Shai Hope, and Jos Buttler are proving they are just as capable of holding and advancing that legacy as they continue to undergo ferment performances.

On November 6, 2025, Quinton de Kock surpassed the 22 ODI mark, leaving him one knock away from tying Kumar Sangakkara's record for 23 centuries aka brain drops, very much a testament to the fact the wicketkeeper has evolved to be one of the most complete players in the modern game.

5  Jos Buttler – 11 centuries

• Matches (as keeper): 162
• Hundreds: 11
• Fifties: 28
• Runs: 5,289
• Average: 39.76
• Best Score: 162*
• Country: England

For many years now, Jos Buttler has been an emblem of innovation and aggression in England's white-ball scenarios. Remarkable skill sets, impressive composure and the ability to hit deliveries in a full 360° are the reasons for his remarkable transformation of England's development into a One Day International giant.

Since entering the team in 2013, Buttler has scored 11 hundreds, most at strike rates at the 100 mark or above. His structural levels were made evident when he scored 162* against the West Indies in 2019 and displayed a remarkable capability to hit ramp shots, lofted drives and manipulative strokeplay.

4  Adam Gilchrist – 16 centuries

• Matches (as wicketkeeper): 274
• Centuries: 16
• Half-centuries: 53
• Runs: 9,410
• Average: 35.64
• Highest score: 172
• Country: Australia

Before the emergence of the modern keeper-batter, there was Adam Gilchrist, a cricketer who turned upside down the expectations of what was possible for wicketkeepers to do. Gilchrist opened for Australia in their glory years with one simple objective and goal, to go on the attack from the very first ball.

To score 16 centuries at a time when scores of 300+ in ODIs were seemingly unheard of, is a legend in itself. His innings of 172 against Zimbabwe and the famous 149 in the 2007 World Cup final are two of ODI cricket's greatest innings. He was not the tidy keeper that brings fawning admiration elsewhere, but there is no contest for the legacy that Adam Gilchrist leaves pertaining to Australia's internal dominance - a contributor to the legacy of dominance within Australian cricket as a keeper and apparent top-order aggressor baiting in modernity.

3  Shai Hope – 18 centuries

• Matches (as wicketkeeper): 138
• Centuries: 18
• Half-centuries: 30
• Runs: 5,916
• Average: 50.13
• Highest score: 170
• Country: West Indies

If Gilchrist was all about aggression, Shai Hope is all about calmness and class. The West Indies captain has grown into one of the most consistent one-day batters in the world - a player who values his wicket, builds his innings, and scores under pressure.

Since his 2016 debut, Hope has scored 18 ODI centuries while keeping wickets, at an average in excess of 50-a pretty remarkable effort, considering how irregular West Indies have been over the last few years. His highest score, 170, has come against Ireland and showcases his ability to anchor innings with great patience and timing.

ALSO SEE: List of fastest players to score 1000 runs ft. Abhishek Sharma

2  Quinton de Kock – 22 centuries

• Matches (as wicketkeeper): 156
• Centuries: 22
• Half-centuries: 31
• Runs: 6,953
• Average: 46.97
• Highest score: 178
• Country: South Africa

Quinton de Kock has been the pulse of South Africa's batting for over a decade. He possesses an insouciance in his strokeplay, it is often crisp in its timing, takes the fight to both pace and spin, and is firmly one of the naturally gifted players of this generation. In his 156 wickets as wicketkeeper, he has scored 22 centuries, and has approached 47 as an average - which is a elite standard in modern ODI cricket. De Kock's highest score of 178 against Australia in 2016 is still one of the most fluent innings that any South African opener has played in history.

He added his latest - a fantastic 123 off 119 balls against Pakistan in Durban on November 6, 2025 - and brought him one century away from Kumar Sangakkara's all-time mark. That innings was another showcase of how well de Kock combines aggression with composure. Though he has reduced his international commitments in the last few years, he is still a vital player in the South African cricket environment - and his record is history.

1  Kumar Sangakkara – 23 centuries

• Matches (as a wicketkeeper): 340
• Centuries: 23
• Half-centuries: 91
• Runs (as a wicketkeeper): 13,341
• Overall ODI runs: 14,234
• Average: 41.98
• Highest score: 169
• Country: Sri Lanka

In first position, we have the elegant Kumar Sangakkara, a finalist batter and wicketkeeper in the history of the game. For 15 years, Sangakkara was the definition of consistency as a batter in ODI cricket.

He also holds the record for the most centuries as a wicketkeeper in ODIs - 23 and did it with style, intelligence, and grace. His highest score of 169 was a beautiful innings, both composed and well-structured. Brought to life by his ability to place and time the ball, his overall ODI contribution of 14,234 runs (with an average close to 42) has guaranteed his position in the pantheon of ODI greatness.

FAQs

1. Who has the most centuries by a wicketkeeper in ODI cricket?
The great Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka has the great record for the most centuries by a wicketkeeper in ODIs, with a total of 23 centuries. The next closest player to significantly surpassing Sangakkara’s record is Quinton de Kock, who is just one century behind with 22 centuries.

2. How many ODI centuries has Quinton de Kock scored as a wicketkeeper?
Quinton de Kock of South Africa has scored 22 ODI centuries in 156 innings as a wicketkeeper, averaging nearly 47. De Kock scored his most recent century against Pakistan on November 6, 2025, scoring 123 runs.

3. Who is the only current wicketkeeper near breaking Kumar Sangakkara's record?
Quinton de Kock is the only current wicketkeeper who is nearing to breaking Kumar Sangakkara's record of 23 ODI centuries. De Kock has scored a total of 22 centuries, so he is currently just one century shy.

4. How many ODI centuries has Shai Hope scored and what is his batting average?
Shai Hope, captain of the West Indies, has recorded 18 ODI centuries, along with 30 half-centuries and with a batting average of 50.13 - the best average of all of the wicketkeepers on this list.

5. What is Jos Buttler’s highest score in ODI cricket?
Jos Buttler, England’s white-ball captain, achieved his career-best score of 162 not out against the West Indies in 2019. That innings stands out as one of the most commanding performances by a wicketkeeper-batter in modern ODI history.