T20 World Cup 2022: Top 5 catches from previous editions

image-l8ym6smdDinesh 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. 



AB de Villiers vs Pakistan, 2012 

Unarguably one of the best fielders of all time, AB de Villiers shone with the gloves during the 2012 T20I World Cup.

De Villiers, standing on the back foot, had to rush forward to claim a catch off Pakistan's Imran Nazir, who attempted a pull against Dale Steyn. The ball after hitting the gloves lost momentum and died down on De Villiers, who managed to hold on to it at the very last moment.

Dinesh Karthik vs South Africa, 2007

No T20I catch list is complete without mentioning Dinesh Karthik's superman effort in the inaugural edition. 

Karthik standing in the Gully region, flew off the ground to catch hold of a thick outside edge of Graeme Smith's bat.  This prompted MS Dhoni to hand over his gloves to Karthik behind the wicket.

Notable Mention

Bangladesh’s best fielder in rent times Soumya Sarkar had a brilliant outing in the outfield during the 2016 edition. 

Sarkar's catch to dismiss Hardik Pandya will remain etched in minds of Indian fans, but his effort against Pakistan to dismiss Mohammad Hafeez was even more spectacular.

Sarkar, while crossing over the boundary line, threw the ball back into the playing area and managed to rush back in the nick of time to hold on to the catch a second time.



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