Top 10 greatest fielders of all time
1. Jonty Rhodes (South Africa)
- When we name Top 10 greatest fielders of all time we have to name Jonathan Neil “Jonty” Rhodes. Jonty Rhodes is a South African professional cricketer, great fielder, commentator, former international cricketer, and coach.
- Jonty Rhodes took 125 catches in Test cricket and 69 catches in ODI cricket, for a total of 194 international catches.
- He’s renowned for his outstanding fielding and great catches. He is the all-time greatest fielder in the world.
- Jonty became the first South African cricketer to take 100 ODI catches.
- He is the fielding coach of the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL.
- Some of the best sportswriters have cited Rhodes as one of the greatest fielders in cricket of all time. Jonty made some excellent catches in the outfield, the slips, and the circle.
- His diving run-out of Inzamam-ul-Haq in the 1992 World Cup is one of the most iconic moments in cricket.
2. Ricky Ponting (Australia)
- Ponting was a truly unique and gifted cricketer, and in his prime, he was one of the greatest fielders of all time.
- Ricky Ponting took 160 catches in Test cricket and 195 catches in ODI cricket, for a total of 355 international catches.
- Ricky Ponting was a prominent captain and batsman; he was an exceptional fielder, particularly adept at the point and gully.
- He also has the ability to field in some of the most difficult conditions of matches.
- He also had a talent for taking one-handed catches.
- As the stats show, Ponting took 356 catches in 543 matches, which shows his outstanding fielding abilities.
3. AB de Villiers (South Africa)
- According to Jonty Rhodes, “AB de Villiers” is the greatest fielder of all time. He is a multidimensional cricketer as he is a wicketkeeper; he fields at slip, mid-off, and long-on.
- De Villiers holds the record for the most catches taken by a fielder in a Test match.
- ABD also holds the record for the most catches taken by a fielder in a T20I series.
- ABD took 297 catches in 420 matches, which is a great record to have as a fielder.
- Apart from his creativity and consistent batting, he is regarded as one of the greatest players to ever play the game.
4. Ravindra Jadeja (India)
- Ravindra Jadeja is not just a player; he is a full package, as they call him, SIR Ravindra Jadeja not because of batting and bowling skills but also because he is a very great fielder.
- Jadeja played 60 Tests taking 250 catches, 168 ODIs taking 121 catches, and 64 T20Is, taking 45 catches for India, respectively.
- Jonty Rhodes also praised Jadeja for his fielding efforts and accurate throw. he considered Jadeja one of the best modern-day fielders.
- Ravindra Jadeja is considered one of the best modern-day all-rounders, known for his sharp fielding skills.
5. Faf du Plessis (South Africa)
- Du Plessis is one of the best fielders in the cricket world today.
- Faf du Plessis has had a very impressive fielding career. He is known for his athleticism, agility, safe hands, and ability to make marvelous catches.
- He is also a very good deep-side fielder. He saved plenty of runs for his teams over the years.
- Du Plessis took 341 catches in 372 matches, which is a very impressive record to have.
- In 2019, Du Plessis saved four runs in the final of the match played between South Africa and England, which helped South Africa win the match by one run.
6. Ben Stokes (England)
- Ben Stokes is one of the finest fielders in the world today.
- He is known for his safe hands, athleticism, and ability to take versatile catches in the field.
- Stokes took 246 catches in 248 matches, which is a very good stat to have.
- Stokes has taken some of the most memorable catches in recent years. In 2019, he took a one-handed catch to dismiss Steve Smith in the Ashes.
- In 2020, in a Test match between England and India, he took a diving catch to dismiss Virat Kohli in 2021.
- In the T20 World Cup, he made a one-handed catch to dismiss David Warner. Which proves his match-winning ability to take catches.
7. Herschelle Gibbs (South Africa)
- Gibbs served in international cricket for South Africa from the 1990s to 2010.
- Herschelle Gibbs was undoubtedly regarded as one of the best fielders during his cricketing career.
- His agility, quick reflexes, and sharp catching skills made him a standout in the field.
- Herschelle Gibbs took 300 catches in 361 matches, which is a pretty awesome record.
- In the field, Gibbs was often stationed in key positions like slip and backward point.
8. Rahul Dravid (India)
- Rahul David is not only one of the greatest batsmen, but also one of the greatest fielders in cricket history.
- His extraordinary reflexes and safe hands made him a valuable asset to the Indian cricket team in all formats.
- Dravid played 164 Tests for India, taking 210 catches as a fielder in ODIs, which was also a record during his time.
- Dravid was an outstanding slip fielder. He holds several records for the most catches in Test cricket.
- Rahul Dravid has held the record for the most catches by a fielder in Test cricket for several years. Rahul Dravid took a total of 210 catches during his career in Test matches.
9. Virat Kohli (India)
- Virat Kohli’s fielding skills are evident not only when he bats but also when he makes a great contribution on the field. His enthusiasm and energy make his opponent stun during the match.
- He celebrates not only his batting but also his contributions to the field.
- Virat Kohli has primarily been recognised for his batting in Test matches.
- His commitment and athleticism set a high standard for modern fielding.
- He has played 102 Tests, taking 103 catches, 262 ODIs, taking 123 catches, and 113 T20Is, taking 49 catches for India, respectively.
10. Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka)
- Mahela Jayawardene was one of the best fielders in international cricket history. He was known for his athleticism, agility, and anticipation in the field.
- He took some of the most outstanding catches ever seen in cricket, and he saved numerous runs for his team.
- Jayawardene was a splendid fielder in all positions, but his area of expertise was particularly adept at gully and slip.
- As per the stats, Jayawardene took 440 catches in 652 matches, which shows his fielding competence.