Catches win matches in cricket.
Fielding is the most decisive factor in cricket. Even the mightiest bowlers require the support of fielders to create a breakthrough. Blocking a single can also change the scenario of a match.
The dropped catch of Herschelle Gibbs of South Africa made Australia win the World Cup 1999. An outstanding throw from Martin Guptill to dismiss MS Dhoni in the world cup 2019 pulled away India from the tournament.
Many instances proved fielding is as crucial as bowling and batting in cricket. And, catching is an integral part of any fielder’s job.
Here, in this article, we will see the top 10 fielders in all formats of the game, who have picked the most number of catches.
Note: We have not included wicket-keeping records here. You can check the statistical comparison of the top wicket-keepers here.
| FIELDERS | INNINGS | CATCHES | CATCHES/INNS |
|---|---|---|---|
| M Jayawardene (SL) | 768 | 440 | 0.572 |
| R Ponting (AUS) | 717 | 364 | 0.507 |
| R Taylor (NZ) | 546 | 351 | 0.642 |
| J Kallis (SA) | 664 | 338 | 0.509 |
| V Kohli (IND) | 659 | 336 | 0.509 |
| R Dravid (IND) | 571 | 334 | 0.584 |
| S Smith (AUS) | 458 | 331 | 0.722 |
| J Root (ENG) | 494 | 311 | 0.629 |
| S Fleming (NZ) | 480 | 306 | 0.637 |
| G Smith (SA) | 454 | 292 | 0.643 |
Key Insights
It is the regulars from the previous tables who decorate this overall stats table too. Mahela Jayawardene has taken the most catches in international cricket in all formats by a fielder.
He ranks 1 in ODIs, 2 in Tests, and tops the overall chart with 440 catches in 768 international innings.
He is also the only cricketer to have 400 international catches by any non-keeper fielder.
He is followed by Ricky Ponting with 364 catches. The former Aussies skipper is also the leading non wicket-keeper fielder from Australia to have the maximum catches in ODIs and second in Tests.
Among the current players, Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, and Joe Root have crossed the elite milestone number of 300+ international cricket catches.
Rahul Dravid currently holds the record for the most catches by an Indian player in all format.
Read: Top 10: Most Centuries in ICC Tournaments (Limited Overs)
