In discussions about IPL, fans and experts often focus solely on batting and bowling statistics. However, it is important to remember the old cricketing adage that 'Catches win Matches'. The outcome of many matches is often determined by the difference in fielding between the teams.
The IPL has produced some incredible moments on the field, with brilliant catches often changing the course of matches. However, upon closer inspection of the top five players with the most catches in IPL history - Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Kieron Pollard, Ravindra Jadeja, and Rohit Sharma - it becomes clear that they are all non-fast bowlers. This raises the question: where are the fast bowlers?
It is surprising that even though there are no specialist pacers in the top 30 of most IPL catches, they are still able to pull off spectacular catches anywhere on the field.
The top 5 remarkable catches made by fast bowlers in IPL history.
IPL 2024: Reece Topley
The latest impressive catch was made by England's left-arm fast bowler Reece Topley during the MI-RCB IPL 2024 match.
MI were going strong at 135/1 in 11 overs with Rohit Sharma settled. However, Topley's brilliant moment dismissed the veteran batter in the following over, giving RCB a chance to win despite chasing 197.
Rohit swept a full delivery from Will Jacks onto middle stump with the second ball of the 12th over. Topley at fine leg dived to his left and timed his jump perfectly to complete an incredible one-handed catch, much to his disbelief.
Unfortunately for RCB, the catch did little to inspire confidence and they capitulated, losing by seven wickets in the 16th over to fall to 1-5 from six matches.
IPL 2023: Sandeep Sharma
Perhaps the most crucial moment of the IPL occurred during the MI-RR match at the Wankhede Stadium last season.
Chasing a mammoth target of 213 to win, Mumbai Indians (MI) were 150/3 in 15 overs, with their ace batsman Suryakumar Yadav smashing 55 off 27. However, Trent Boult bowled a quiet first half of the 16th over, forcing the MI batsman to attempt a ramp shot over the fine leg.
Boult's off-pace delivery allowed the batter to time the shot, but Sandeep Sharma made a miraculous catch from inside the circle. He sprinted back and dove full-fledged to clutch the ball with his left hand and maintain control of the catch.
Tim David's heroics of 45 from 14 balls saw MI home in the third ball of the final over, in what was seen as a potential game-changing moment.
IPL 2022: Mohammed Siraj
Mohammed Siraj made an acrobatic effort on the field to dismiss Jos Buttler during his impressive IPL 2022 season in the RCB-RR clash.
RR were 33/2 in four overs when they began relying on Buttler for a match-winning performance. Unfortunately, the England limited-overs captain was dismissed on the first ball of the fifth over by Josh Hazlewood.
Buttler miscued a pull shot and the ball seemed to be falling just short of Siraj. However, Siraj dived forward from mid-on and pulled off a stunning catch. This dismissal caused wild celebrations in the RCB camp, considering the identity of the dismissed batter.
RCB restricted RR to 144/8 but failed to chase the target, losing by 29 runs.
IPL 2018: Trent Boult
Trent Boult executed an exceptional performance during the 2018 IPL season by dismissing Virat Kohli in the match between RCB and DC.
In front of a packed Chinnaswamy Stadium, Kohli and AB de Villiers settled RCB's nerves with a 63-run partnership while chasing 175 for victory. Boult provided a magical fielding moment to bring DC right back into the game when the match seemed to be slipping away.
In the final ball of the 11th over, with RCB at 92/2, Kohli hit a Harshal Patel full toss to the square-leg region. The ball appeared to be heading over the boundary ropes, but Boult surprised Kohli and the home crowd by catching the ball with his right hand just millimetres from the boundary cushion.
Despite AB de Villiers producing another vintage knock, scoring 90* off 39 deliveries to help RCB win by six wickets in only 18 overs, fans still remember the catch. The catch has become a memorable moment for fans.
IPL 2017: Jaydev Unadkat
Jaydev Unadkat, not always known for his athleticism in the field, showcased his best performance while playing for the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) against MI in the IPL 2017 final.
At Hyderabad, MI were struggling at 7/1 with Unadkat picking the first wicket off the first ball of the third over. Shortly after, the left-arm pacer made one of the best return catches in IPL history, further denting MI.
Lendl Simmons played early to a typical slower delivery from Unadkat, resulting in a leading edge that popped back towards the bowler. But Unadkat dived to his left on the follow-through and took a phenomenal one-handed catch to leave MI reeling at 8/2.
Despite a fine spell of 2/19 from Unadkat, which restricted MI to a paltry 129/8, RPS fell short by one run in their run-chase and wilted under pressure.