India has improved their fielding in recent times. Men in Blue started its revival in the early 2000s. Two young cricketers, Yuvraj Singh and Mohammed Kaif have proved that catches can win matches and boundary saves can contain runs. After their retirement, India continued the legacy under former skipper MS Dhoni.
We are missing your best catches and fielding which many times leeded india to win.#MissYouYuvi pic.twitter.com/jGorAzrhJW
— Vinesh Bishnoi (@bishnoi_vinesh) June 10, 2020
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The World Cup-winning captain gave an impetus to the fielding culture in India. At one point, he decided to drop several players from the team as they were slow on the field. He later rotated some of the star cricketers for the same reason. The former skipper used to say a fielder can save runs in each outing but it is not the case with batting or bowling. Suresh Raina was probably the best fielder in the Dhoni era.
Indian fielding grows under Kohli
After Dhoni’s exit, Virat Kohli continued the same serious process. The 33-year-old felt India should give prominence to fitness and the Yo-Yo test became mandatory for selections. In the meantime, the team displayed fielding brilliance, thanks to some talented bunch of athletes.
Most of you would remember @MohammadKaif 's stunning catch in the Karachi ODI in 2004 but do you remember this one he took also Vs Pakistan next year in Kanpur?
This man was simply 👌 back in days when India wasn't one of the best fielding unit in the world. pic.twitter.com/herK6oMaOk
— Mainak Sinha🏏📽️ (@cric_archivist) October 23, 2019
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The captain led from the front. Kohli’s bullet throws make him one of the best fielders in international cricket. His one-handed grab in the World Cup warm-up game denotes his consistency. Another athlete who has grown in recent times is Hardik Pandya. The Baroda cricketer is a fast mover, and a composed fielder, who has often missed easy chances but most times he is reliable.
This fielder is the best, says the team
According to former skippers Kohli and Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja is the best fielder in the team. This is because his catching rate is amazing and dropped ones are rare. In addition, he has got a rocket arm like Kohli, and hence he is fielded in crucial positions.
#HappyBirthdayJadeja#SirJadeja #OnThisDay
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIR JADEJA🎂🎂
~(Here are some best fielding moments of him) pic.twitter.com/U9Vyr6VC0t— " (@ict234) December 5, 2021
Jadeja is a brilliant diver too, and this skill is useful in saving runs, and also in catching. But unfortunately, the star all-rounder has not made it to the World Cup team with an injury. India would hope they do not miss him. The team must gather collective strength for the event.
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