“Catches win you matches” is a statement that is often underrated in cricket because teams don’t give much importance to this aspect of the game. Fielding although is a very important aspect in a game of cricket and should be at par with batting and bowling but is often neglected.
Good fielding instances in a match can turn the match in any team’s favor from nowhere. A half chance converted, a good direct hit or an excellent boundary save suddenly energizes the team and the fielding team starts looking different on the ground. Whereas, slow fielders can make the batters run two instead of one and they start looking at the game from a different perspective.
The importance of good fielders is huge, especially in T20 cricket where games are so fast-paced. Today, we are going to have a look at the top-5 fielders ever in IPL history. These are decided purely on the basis of the number of catches taken and the number of run-outs initiated to date in the IPL.
1. Ab-de-Villiers (South Africa)
This superhuman player from South Africa has been the best fielder in the Indian Premier League history. Also known as Mr. 360, De Villiers started his journey as a wicketkeeper with Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). He then later went on to play for the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the rest as they say is history. He played as a wicketkeeper for them for many years but mostly played as a fielder. In the 189 matches that he has played in the IPL, he has a total of 118 catches to his name which is the highest for any player in the IPL. He also has done 8 stumpings and 10 run-outs in the IPL. He announced his retirement from the league after the conclusion of the 2021 season of the IPL.
2. Suresh Raina (India)
Suresh Raina, also known as Mr. IPL, is the best Indian fielder in the history of the league. He has played for the CSK franchise in his entire career except for the two years when he led the Gujarat Lions franchise due to the ban on CSK. He has 108 catches and 15 run-outs to his name in the Indian Premier League. He retired from the IPL after the 2021 season after already announcing his retirement from International cricket the previous year. He has joined the commentary box since then and is playing in different domestic leagues in various parts of the world.
3. Kieron Pollard (West Indies)
Pollard is the only overseas player in the IPL who has played for a single franchise in the IPL, which is Mumbai Indians. He has been a very important player in their setup since the beginning and is a legend of the game. He has played 189 matches for MI in the IPL, where he has taken 103 catches and initiated 12 run-outs. He announced his retirement from the league ahead of the 2023 season and is named the batting coach of the Mumbai Indians. This player has lit the IPL stage many times with his heroics and jaw-dropping catches.
4. Rohit Sharma (India)
Rohit has also been one of the top fielders in the IPL. He has taken a total of 97 catches and has 10 run-outs to his name. The current Indian team captain started his IPL journey with Deccan Chargers but later was bought by the MI franchise and went on to lead them to five IPL trophies. He has been a very important player for MI since the very beginning. He started his career batting at position 5 or 6 but became an opener after joining the MI franchise.
5. Virat Kohli (India)
The King of world cricket, Virat Kohli, is another big name in the list of top-5 fielders in the history of the Indian Premier League. He is the only Indian player in the league who has played for only one franchise in his entire career of the IPL. He was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise in 2008 seeing his heroics and captaincy skills in the 2008 Under-19 World Cup. He has been a part of their setup ever since and has also led the franchise for many years. He has 94 catches to his name along with 19 run-outs, the highest number of run-outs by any individual player in the IPL. Unfortunately, he does not have an IPL trophy to his name but is a legend of the IPL and also leads the best batter charts in the IPL.
