Jonty Rhodes, the pioneer of athletic brilliance on the field, changed the course of countless matches with his remarkable efforts. Rhodes helped spread the word, and captains all over the world began to take fitness and fielding drills seriously fairly quickly.
We’ve witnessed some incredible catches throughout the years, where the fielders’ conviction and muscle memory – sometimes in less than a split second – had to be seen to be believed. On that subject, here are the ten most incredible catches in cricket history.
1. Ben Stokes vs South Africa (ICC Cricket World Cup 2019)
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Ben Stokes, famed for his outstanding fielding efforts in recent years, made an incredible one-handed catch in the 2019 World Cup. England was dominating the field against South Africa in a group stage encounter. Andile Phehlukwayo attempted to slog sweep Adil Rashid’s bowling for a six, but Stokes expertly timed the jump and completed a one-handed catch after diving close the boundary.
2. Kapil Dev vs West Indies (ICC Cricket World Cup 1983)
When it comes to the best catches in cricket, Kapil Dev’s catch in the 1983 World Cup Final has to be at the top of the list. In the final, India faced a powerful West Indies team and had set a target of 184 in a 60-over match. In the second innings, while attempting to defend such a low total, Kapil Dev grabbed an excellent catch going back towards the boundary line, dismissing Viv Richards. It proved to be a game-changing moment since Viv Richards was in excellent form, having already scored 33 runs in 28 balls with seven boundaries, and was regarded as the backbone of the West Indies’ batting order.
Richards posed a significant threat to the Indian bowlers, but Kapil Dev dismissed him off Madan Lal’s bowling. Furthermore, Viv Richards’ vital wicket led to the collapse of the West Indies batting order, and India won the World Cup for the first time by defeating them by 43 runs.
3. Sreesanth vs Pakistan (ICC T20 Cricket World Cup 2007)
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Sreesanth’s catch was another amazing catch in a World Cup Final. The 2007 T20 World Cup was the first of its kind, and the finals were long-time rivals India and Pakistan. Pakistan was leading this nail-biting encounter when they needed 6 runs off 4 balls to win. Misbah-ul-Haq had produced a match-winning performance, scoring 43 off 38 balls and remaining at the crease till the last wicket fell.
Misbah tried clearing the boundary with a ramp shot off Joginder Sharma’s bowling when Pakistan was just one hit away from winning the inaugural T20 World Cup, but couldn’t connect properly. Sreesanth, who was at short fine leg, received the ball directly.
Even though it wasn’t a tough grab to hold onto, it was a key catch that drastically altered the flow of the match in India’s favor at a time when they were under enormous strain and saw the match slip through their fingers. Even today, Sreesanth is best recognized for taking the catch that helped India win the first T20 World Cup.
4. Kieron Pollard vs Rajasthan Royals (IPL 2014)
Kieron Pollard made another spectacular catch during the 2014 IPL season. The Mumbai Indians were playing the Rajasthan Royals, and Pollard’s West Indian teammate Kevon Cooper was attempting to score a six off Harbhajan Singh. Pollard was on the sideline when he grabbed the ball with one hand. However, he was so close to the boundary that he was ready to lose his balance, which is when he threw the ball in the air and dived onto the field from outside the boundary to execute a fantastic catch.
5. Evin Lewis vs Kolkata Knight Riders (IPL 2022)
In the IPL 2022 season, Evin Lewis recently made an incredible catch. Lucknow Super Giants faced KKR near the end of the league round, and Lucknow had set a massive goal of 211 due to Quinton de Kock’s 140 runs in just 70 deliveries. KKR came close, needing three runs in two balls to win. Evin Lewis came sprinting to take the catch after Rinku Singh, who was playing a match-winning cameo, mistimed the shot. The catch appeared to be impossible at the time, but Lewis simply stuck his left palm out and took a one-handed stunner to remove Rinku.
That was the turning point in the game, which led to Lucknow winning their final league encounter. It was a crucial catch because Lucknow’s win secured their playoff spot, and they ended third in the points table.
Also Read: How does Ravindra Jadeja’s Test record look like in the West Indies? (cricfiles.com)
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