NEW DELHI: Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin has hailed Syed Kirmani as the world’s best wicketkeeper, singling out his exceptional skills against spin bowling and his pivotal role in India’s 1983 World Cup triumph. Azharuddin made the remarks at the launch of Kirmani’s autobiography ‘Stumped: Life Behind and Beyond The Twenty-Two Yards’.“He is the number one wicket-keeper in the world. Such a wicket-keeper was never born. It was not easy for him to do wicketkeeping with four spinners. He took many good catches in the World Cup in 1983. Even in the match when Kapil scored 175 runs, he scored crucial 24 runs. I am very happy to attend this event today. May god give him a long life. People should also read this book and enjoy, and I hope it is successful,” Azharuddin said.
In the 1983 World Cup, Kirmani claimed 12 catches and effected two stumpings, second only to West Indies’ Jeff Dujon, who registered 15 catches and one stumping.Across his career, Kirmani’s 234 dismissals place him fourth among Indian wicketkeepers, behind MS Dhoni (829), Nayan Mongia (261), and Rishabh Pant (244). On the global list, South Africa’s Mark Boucher leads with 998 dismissals, followed by Australia’s Adam Gilchrist with 905.Kirmani represented India from 1976 to 1986, scoring 3,132 runs in 137 matches across formats, including two centuries and 12 half-centuries.
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At the same event, Azharuddin also lauded fellow Hyderabad cricketer Mohammad Siraj for his recent exploits in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England.“I also got a chance to meet Siraj. He bowled very well. I would like to congratulate him as well. I hope he continues to grow and perform well,” Azharuddin said.Siraj finished as the leading wicket-taker in the five-match Test series, with 23 wickets, and bowled the most overs (185.3) among all players. This came after he featured in every match of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, a five-Test series.
