Wicket-Keepers with Most Catches in IPL
‘Catches win matches’ is a phrase that is true in all the three formats of the game. But the importance of the phrase is immense in the shortest format of cricket. In T20s, every catch holds a massive consequence to the outcome of the game. Often we have seen teams winning games from bad situation, just because of electrifying efforts on the field.
We have seen some spectacular catches in the Indian Premier League as well. The tournament has had some wonderful wicket-keepers, who have defied every concept of physics to take some nearly impossible catches. A great wicket-keeper is very essential for a team to succeed in the IPL. They do a thankless job, but their job is arguably one of the most difficult ones.
5 Wicket-Keepers with Most Catches in IPL
Let us have a look at list of Most Catches by Wicket-Keepers in IPL:
#1 Dinesh Karthik (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Kolkata Knight Riders‘ skipper Dinesh Karthik has been playing in the tournament since its start. He has been a regular at every single team he has been in. Karthik has the record of taking the most number of catches in the IPL. He has taken a total of 109 catches in 182 matches. That means he has a dismissal per game figure of 0.84.
Besides being a great wicket-keeper, he is also a pretty solid batsman. He got the most number of runs in a single season (510) in 2013. But his best season with the bat came in 2018, which was his first year as KKR’s skipper. He scored 498 runs at a staggering average of almost 50.
Read More: Best Wicket Keeper in IPL
#2 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings)
Many might have been surprised to see that Dhoni is not the number 1 on this list. Chennai Super Kings‘ skipper gets the second place in this list. In a total of 190 matches, he has taken 98 catches. Though the second wicket-keeper, he is third on the list of wicket-keepers with most catches in IPL. Dhoni’s CSK teammate Suresh Raina has taken more catches than him. Dhoni has a dismissal per match figure of 0.83.
Though Karthik needs to prove himself as a skipper, Dhoni has already won 3 trophies. The last two seasons were his best with the bat. He crossed the 400-run mark in both the seasons.
Read More: IPL 2020 Wicket Keeper Rankings
#3 AB de Villiers (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
Though AB de Villiers does not play as a wicket-keeper anymore, he makes it into this list because he has played many IPL games as a keeper. Being a born athlete, de Villiers is one of the few cricketers who are equally good with or without the gloves. He has taken a total of 95 catches in 154 matches so far.
He has also made 7 stumpings and has a dismissal per game figure of 0.75. His best season with the bat was possibly the 2016 season, in which he scored more than 600 runs. He maintained a great average of over 50. His career IPL average is almost 40.
Read More: Wicket Keeper with Most Stumpings in IPL
#4 Robin Uthappa (Rajasthan Royals)
Robin Uthappa is another player who does not play as a wicket-keeper anymore, but has had great success with the gloves in hand. He was a part of the title-winning team of Kolkata Knight Riders. Uthappa has taken 84 catches in 177 matches.
Uthappa’s best season with the bat was undoubtedly the 2014 edition, in which Kolkata Knight Riders lifted their second title. In that edition, he scored 660 runs at a great average of 44. The also maintained a brilliant strike rate of almost 140. This season, he will ply his trade for Rajasthan Royals.
Read More: Highest Wickets Against CSK
#5 Parthiv Patel (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
Parthiv Patel‘s case is a bit different from the rest. Unlike the previous four mentions in the list of 5 wicket-keepers with most catches in IPL, Patel never had a season where he took the country by storm. However, he has always been a crucial member of any side he has played for. Patel has chipped in with valuable contributions with the bat, but more than that, he has impressed with his glove-work.
There is not a single season in which Patel has scored more than 400 runs, despite being an opener. However, he has taken 69 catches in the tournament, from the 139 matches he has featured in. Patel’s best season in the competition was perhaps the 2017 one. In that year, he almost reached the 400-run mark for the first time, but fell short by just 5 odd runs.
Read More: Highest Wicket-Takers for KXIP
