Dinesh Karthik in action (PC: Twitter)
'Catches win Matches' is one of the oldest sayings used across the cricketing world. Catches over the years have evolved from being simple and unattractive to lately being spectacular and eye-catching.
Apart from pure athleticism, catching involves a lot of flair, technique, and at times a burst of madness, more so since the introduction of T20I cricket. The easier ones are being dropped, while those that were deemed uncatchable are caught effortlessly.
With the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 nearing soon, let’s have a look into some of the best catching efforts witnessed by fans over the years.
Kevin O'Brien vs Namibia, 2021
Ireland are known to produce great cricket across the global tournament. Former Irish player Kevin O'Brien showcased his catching skills in the last edition against Namibia.
O'Brien plucked Zane Green's catch out of thin air near the 30-yard circle while stretching to the fullest, only to tumble down and stand back up in celebration.
Michael Leask vs Zimbabwe, 2016
Scotland making their third-ever T20I WC appearance wowed audiences with their fielding effort. Leading from the front was Michael Leask, who pulled off a stunner at long-off against Zimbabwe to dismiss Richmond Mutumbami.
Leask failed to hold on to the first attempt, only to lob the ball toward the boundary line. Quick reflexes witnessed him outstretch his arm and latch on to the catch the second time.
Kyle Coetzer vs South Africa, 2009
Scotland's Kyle Coetzer produced a blinder to get rid of South Africa's Mark Boucher in the 2009 edition.
Despite overrunning from long-on, Coetzer, who in his own words was 'desperate' to catch, leaped backward and held on to the ball in a 'Superman-esque' effort.
 "Vishal Mehra")
