Top 5 Most Successful Fielders in IPL History
Cricket generally portrays batters and bowlers as the gladiators who turned the outcome of the match in their team’s favour. However, fielders also play an eminent role in winning the matches. The Indian Premier League (IPL) since its inception has seen many great fielders who have turned the tide of the match. Let’s take a look at the top 5 most successful fielders in IPL history.
1. Virat Kohli (114 catches in 252 matches)
Virat Kohli has been playing in the IPL since the inaugural season in 2008. In his debut season, King Kohli was a bit chubby. But this never had any impact on his on-field performance. He is an astute batter and world-class fielder who rarely drops any catch.
As time passed, King Kohli centred his focus towards fitness. Since then he has set a bar of new level of fitness. Virat Kohli has played 252 matches and taken 114 catches, which is the most in the history of the IPL. In an inning, he has taken a maximum of 3 catches.
2. Suresh Raina (109 catches in 205 matches)
If the ball is in the air and Suresh Raina is under the ball then the batsman starts walking back to the pavilion as he never drops catches. He is termed as ‘Mr. IPL’ for his consistency in batting and fielding. It’s not just about Raina’s catching skill that makes him a great fielder he also possesses exceptional skill to stop the ball from reaching the boundary rope.
The south-paw has played a total of 205 matches in the IPL from 2008 to 2021 and took 109 catches. After IPL 2021 he took retirement from all forms of cricket. His best fielding performance was 3 catches in an inning.
3. Kieron Pollard (103 catches in 189 matches)
Legendary West Indian all-rounder Kieron Pollard has played for Mumbai Indians in the IPL from 2010 to 2022. His match-finishing skill with the bat is well-known among cricket fans and so is his wonderful fielding skill.
Pollard is a tall man with a bulky body. His height has given him a lot of advantage while fielding. The destructive batter has taken 103 catches in 189 matches. His best performance while fielding is 2 catches.
4. Ravindra Jadeja (103 catches in 240 matches)
Fondly known as ‘Sir Jadeja’ is a nightmare for the batters who try to sneak a run when a ball goes to him. He is well-renowned for his run-saving ability. Even the ICC has made a video on Jadeja’s fielding skills with the title – ‘Ravindra Jadeja: The best fielder in the world?’. However, his catching stats in the IPL don’t represent true potential.
Ravindra Jadeja has played a total of 240 matches since IPL 2008 and has taken 103 catches. His best performance while fielding is 4 catches, which is the best among the Top 5 players with the most number of catches.
5. Rohit Sharma (101 catches in 257 matches)
The Indian ODI team captain Rohit Sharma is known as ‘Hitman’ for his aggressive batting. But he is an astute fielder too. Sharma played for the Deccan Chargers before moving to Mumbai Indians. He has won 5 IPL titles as a captain for MI. Sharma has taken 101 catches in 257 matches and his best fielding performance was 3 catches in a match.
These are the top 5 most successful fielders in the history of IPL. Although these players has made a name for themselves in fielding but there are other world-class fielders too in the IPL. The likes of AB De Villers, Faf du Plessis, Brendon McCullum, and Hardik Pandya are also some of the best in the business.
