Buttler Ranks Dhoni Fourth, Praises Pant’s Skills

LONDON: Ahead of The Hundred tournament, England’s Jos Buttler lauded India’s Rishabh Pant as a premier wicketkeeper globally during a blind ranking exercise conducted by British media on Tuesday.

Buttler was challenged to rank five wicketkeepers from various periods without knowing the entire list beforehand. The names provided were Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock, and himself.

The former England captain immediately placed Pant at the top spot, commending the 27-year-old’s current form. Quinton de Kock secured the second position, while Buttler surprisingly ranked legendary Indian wicketkeeper-batsman MS Dhoni at number four.

When AB de Villiers was revealed on the list, Buttler acknowledged he had already ‘messed up’ the arrangement but ultimately placed the South African icon at number three. Buttler concluded by ranking himself last.

Reflecting on his respect for Dhoni after the challenge, Buttler stated, “MS is an exceptional cricketer. I admire his composed approach, his ability to remain unfazed, and his strategic thinking. His simple yet effective methods have always fascinated me.”

“I was fortunate to receive his jersey during the IPL in 2020, which was a truly special moment,” Buttler added.

Buttler also acknowledged Pant’s impressive performances in the recent Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in 2025, where the Indian wicketkeeper amassed 479 runs in four Tests, averaging 68.42, before fracturing his foot during the fourth Test at Old Trafford.

Pant’s rising prominence is demonstrated by his statistics: 171 dismissals in Test cricket (156 catches, 15 stumpings), 51 dismissals in T20Is, and 28 in ODIs.

In contrast, Dhoni retired with a remarkable 829 dismissals across all formats, De Villiers recorded 463, De Kock currently has 560, and Buttler himself has 512.