Of the four catches Rahmanullah Gurbaz took on Monday, the first was the most difficult though the last where ran nearly 25 yards, his eyes first on Suyash Sharma and then on the ball, a hand stretched to tell the bowler not to attempt it, would be close.
For the first catch, the wicket-keeper for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), having moved to his right, pushed up Prabhsimran Singh’s edge before grabbing the ball with an expansive dive. Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s edge
Of the four catches Rahmanullah Gurbaz took on Monday, the first was the most difficult though the last where ran nearly 25 yards, his eyes first on Suyash Sharma and then on the ball, a hand stretched to tell the bowler not to attempt it, would be close.
For the first catch, the wicket-keeper for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), having moved to his right, pushed up Prabhsimran Singh’s edge before grabbing the ball with an expansive dive. Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s edge came at a comfortable chest height but the one Jitesh Sharma, off Varun Chakaravarthy, was sharp. A competent wicket-keeper brimming with energy, Gurbaz had also taken a smart diving catch in KKR’s last game, against Sunrisers Hyderabad away, to dismiss Marcus Stoinis.
Including wides, Gurbaz, who also conceded four byes, collected 15 balls, the first in 2.4 overs, off Vaibhav Arora, and the last in the final delivery of Punjab Kings’ innings, a wide and full delivery from Harshit Rana. Gurbaz’s counterpart Jitesh Sharma took no catches, ran out Andre Russell and pouched 14 deliveries including wides.
“Generally, around 10-12 balls come to you,” said Wriddhiman Saha who wears the big gloves for Gujarat Titans. Like in all formats, keeping to mystery spinners and tearaway bowlers is honed by observing them at nets – former Australia wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist has said he would do that for Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath. But at the MCC Cowdrey Lecture in 2009, when IPL was one-season old, Gilchrist had also presciently said that T20 required skills that were unique to it.
The evolution of shots, bowling and fielding have borne him out. But what changes, apart from wearing shin pads for greater mobility, have wicket-keepers made?
Innovations such as trying to redirect a throw from the deep towards the stumps instead of first catching the ball, taking off a glove to attempt a run-out and not following through to a powerful throw but absorbing its impact can be credited to MS Dhoni.
“Each wicket-keeper tries to do all of that in their own way,” said Saha before GT’s game at Eden against KKR. Along with Gilchrist, Dhoni changed the perception that glovework alone could pay a wicket-keeper’s bill especially in the white ball game.
T20 keepers also bat better, have improved their fielding and there is a pronounced difference in stance. Saha sounded like an outlier when he said, “I have always been a wicket-keeper first and a batter later. I still think a keeper should focus on their role first and then on batting.” But he has a century in an IPL final and on Sunday, played a scintillating knock of 81 against Lucknow Super Giants. Against Delhi Capitals, Saha also took three catches including one where he flew left to dismiss Manish Pandey.
If you think that knowing that a handful of balls will come your way makes the job easier, you have another think coming. “If anything, the value of those deliveries is more,” said Deep Dasgupta. Speaking over the phone from Mumbai, the former India wicket-keeper said: “Think of the balls that are coming to you. They will be wides down the leg-side and you have to prevent byes. Or, one you see suddenly as the batter has missed trying a scoop.”
For that, Dasgupta said wicket-keepers often train with a batter moving around the crease, “one who is basically trying to mess you up.” In his time, the former Bengal captain said, a wicket-keeper would usually train with a bowler bowling at a single stump.
Wicket-keepers in T20s also don’t squat as much as they did, said Wasim Jaffer. “Kiran More (the former India wicket-keeper) and those before him would almost sit down, as in go really low. Now, they don’t,” said the Punjab Kings’ batting coach here on Sunday.
Sometime in the death overs, the wicket-keeper may also go back to the rim of the 30-yard circle to prevent the batter from scooping, said Jaffer. They also train more for high catches, something you wouldn’t do as much before T20 became a format that was here to stay, said Dasgupta.
Look no further than Dhoni keeping fielders away for such catches. Or, look at Gurbaz on Monday. Narayan Jagadeeshan not doing that proved crucial for KKR against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden because Suyash Sharma spilled the skier from David Miller before Vijay Shankar’s pyrotechnics took the visiting team to a comfortable victory.
Even though it is a short game, you still need a decent keeper, said Jaffer. IPL 2023 has shown a shift from the trend of batters standing in for a wicket-keeper. Barring Delhi Capitals’ Sarfaraz Khan, all teams have a specialist doing the job, said Dasgupta. “That has happened because wicket-keepers have worked on their batting.”
To make themselves relevant, they have also improved as fielders, said Dasgupta. “You need to train separately for that. Rajasthan Royals can have three wicket-keepers in the playing 11 but only Sanju Samson will be keeping. So, Jos Buttler and Dhruv Jurel need to pull their weight in the outfield.”
That is how Dasgupta began his first-class career in 1998-99. IPL has turned the trickle into a torrent.
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