In the modern game of cricket, fielding has become an important aspect of how a player is judged by the fans and experts. It can essentially decide the outcome of a match based on the small margins by saving a couple of runs.
While every player in a team will be expected to perform at their best as fielders on the ground, there are a couple of specialists in a team, who regularly impact the flow of the game, through their athleticism and judgement on the field.
Beyond the numbers and statistics, it is the moments of brilliance on the field that can be the difference between a team that walks with an ICC World Cup trophy or a team that ponders on the small margins of their loss.
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Who are the top 10 fielders in the world of cricket currently?
Suryakumar Yadav
Talk about walking away with a World Cup trophy and fans are quick to be reminded about SKY's moment of brilliance at the boundary, which literally helped India snatch the trophy away from South Africa in the final over.
Suryakumar Yadav has taken 145 catches in his T20 career, with a majority of them being caught in challenging spots on the field.
Best angle so far, this proves Surya took one of the cleanest blinders ever under immense pressure. TOP 👑👑 pic.twitter.com/xlskvBeLmL
— BALA (@erbmjha) July 4, 2024
Glenn Phillips
It is a fact that Kiwis are flightless birds but what if we tell you that there is a Kiwi that "can fly"?
The New Zealand international, Glenn Phillips has proven that it is not all about the glitzy catches but also the stunning athleticism on display, to save a couple of runs, which can be the difference between a win and a loss, at the end of the game.
Phillips has taken 230 catches in his career, both as a wicketkeeper and in the outfield, but more importantly, he has saved uncountable runs for his team, with his acrobatic efforts on the field.
Flying Glenn 🫡#ColomboStrikers #LPL #StrikeToConquer #TheBasnahiraBoys #HouseOfTigers #Lankapremierleague #GlennPhillips pic.twitter.com/0kDatTWH44
— Colombo Strikers (@ColomboStrikers) July 8, 2024
Ravindra Jadeja
The Indian all-rounder gifted with a quick left-arm is an absolute livewire on the field, be it for the Indian team or for his IPL franchise, Chennai Super Kings, he is one of the most reliable fielders, who is capable of turning the game around for his team, from any part of the field.
Even the legendary fielder, Jonty Rhodes called Jadeja the "best fielder in the game".
Catches in career: 324
Virat Kohli
There is no doubt that the Indian batter's commitment to strict fitness and dedication on the field is second to none. His agility is a testament of his success, both as a batter, running between the wickets and as a fielder, with his decisive runouts.
Catches in international career: 316
𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙚 𝙠𝙞 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙖𝙡, 𝘽𝙖𝙖𝙯 𝙠𝙞 𝙣𝙖𝙯𝙖𝙧, 𝘼𝙪𝙧 𝙆𝙤𝙝𝙡𝙞 𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙬 𝙥𝙖𝙧 𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙝 𝙣𝙖𝙝𝙞 𝙠𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚 😌#RCBvGT #TATAIPL #IPLonJioCinema #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/xNhbIBu9Yw
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) May 4, 2024
MORE: Retiring Anderson names legendary Indian batsman as toughest opponent
David Miller
The South African international has the record of becoming the first-ever cricketer to win the Player of the Match award in T20Is, for his fielding efforts. He took four catches and effected two run outs in a T20 international match against Pakistan, in 2019.
Glenn Maxwell
Talk about being an all-rounder in every sense of the game, be it with the bat, the ball, or better on the field, the Australian international, Maxwell, has shown time and time again why he is not only one of the swiftest on the field but that he also has one of the safest pair of hands.
The mic'd up Maxwell called it!
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) October 27, 2019
Simply outstanding fielding from Glenn Maxwell! #AUSvSL pic.twitter.com/SNV8WD2XBo
Steven Smith
The former Australian captain has pulled out stunners on the field, particularly at the slip cauldron in Test cricket, but is also known for his quick-thinking efforts to save runs at the boundaries.
Steven Smith has recorded the second-most catches (308) for Australia in international cricket, behind Ricky Ponting's 363.
Aiden Markram
Hailing from the same nation as the legendary Jonty Rhodes, it is no surprise to see another South African become an exceptional fielder in the game.
The current Proteas captain, Markram, was exceptional in the field during the T20 World Cup 2024, where he ended up as the player with the most catches in the tournament, a lot of them in crucial moments of the game.
Markram picked up the most catches in the recent T20 World Cup 2024 with 8 of them.
Nicholas Pooran
When he is not donning the gloves as a wicketkeeper, Nicholas Pooran is bossing it out on the field.
Even the "God of Cricket" Sachin Tendulkar thought so!
This is the best save I have seen in my life. Simply incredible!! 👍#IPL2020 #RRvKXIP pic.twitter.com/2r7cNZmUaw
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) September 27, 2020
Ben Stokes
The current England Test captain is arguably one of the best fielders of this generation. Apart from his all-round ability with the bat and ball, he is an excellent fielder in any position on the ground.
His reflexes, catching skills, ability to cover distances at the long boundaries, and stop balls that were certain to go for a six, makes him an important asset to any team, in addition to his strong accurate throws.
Totals dismissals in Internationals since 2015: 172 (0.558 dismissals per inning)
Simply outstanding! Ben Stokes saves six with some acrobatics on the rope! #AUSvENG #PlayOfTheDay | #Dettol pic.twitter.com/5vmFRobfif
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) October 12, 2022
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