Fielding is an important aspect of the game, in fact, the most important. A player can have a bad day while bowling or batting, but the fielding aspect of the game is always in the hands of the players. As they say,” catches win matches,” here are the top 10 players with the most catches in the history of the One-day Internationals. The list includes the players of ODI-playing nations since the format was first played.
1. Mahela Jayawardene
Mahela Jayawardene was a former right-handed top-order batsman. He was the skipper in the ICC 2011 World Cup and even scored a ton in the final against India. Born in Colombo, he was very technically strong as a batter. He made his ODI debut against India in 1997 at home. In 2006, he was appointed as the ODI captain. The former world-class batter was also an astonishing fielder and is the no.1 catcher in the ODI history. He has taken 218 catches in 448 matches from 1998 to 2015.
2. Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting, famously known as “punter,” was given this nickname by the legend Shane Warne. Born in Tasmania, the former right-handed batter was just too classy and stylish for the bowlers around the world. He is the second captain to win consecutive World Cups as captain in 2003 and 2007 after Clive Llyod in 1975 and 1979. He is one of the most influential skippers in Australia. He was not just a great captain and a batter, but also an amazing fielder. He took 160 catches in 375 ODI matches.
3. MD Azharuddin
Mohammad Azharuddin was a former right-handed batter and a captain for India in both formats. He made his debut in the ODI format in 1985 against England. Born in 1963 in Hyderabad, the batter was appointed as the captain in 1990. He led the team in the limited-over format in 175 matches and batted in 163 innings. He was known for his amazing wrist work as a batter and dominated the leg side while playing. The great Indian batter also took 156 catches in 334 ODIs.
4. Sachin Tendulkar
The master blaster Sachin Tendulkar was born in Mumbai in 1973. The short player was a maestro and a batter of the rarest quality. He started playing for India at the tender age of 16 against the arch-rivals Pakistan in 1989. He is the only batter with a hundred international tons across formats. His technique against the fast bowlers and ability to attack the spinners was next to none. The great cricketer was not just a good batter but also a safe fielder. He has 140 catches to his name in 463 matches.
5. Ross Taylor
He is one of the best batters from New Zealand. Born in Wellington in 1984, the batter made his ODI debut against the West Indies in 2006. He was given the captaincy role in 2010 and led the team in 20 matches until 2012. The player has played 236 ODI matches and scored 8602 runs at an average of 47.52. His ability to bat with consistency makes him a key player for NZ. He has taken 139 catches in 234 matches.
6. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is undoubtedly one of the greats to have ever played the game of cricket. He is a batter of the rarest quality and a great former skipper for India. The right-handed batter and former Indian skipper was born in Delhi in 1988. He made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in 2008. He was appointed the captain in the same format in 2013 and led the team in 95 matches and scored 5449 runs in just 91 innings at an unbelievable average of 72.65. He recently surpassed the 13000 run-mark in the ODIs. The player has taken 137 catches in 260 matches since his ODI debut.
7. Stephen Fleming
Born in 1973, Stephen Fleming was a former left-handed batter for New Zealand. He made his ODI debut against India in 1994 at home. He is considered one of the most influential skippers of his time. The batter is the most capped test player for New Zealand in 111 test matches. He was given the captaincy role in the ODIs in 1997 and led the team in 218 matches until 2007. He took 133 catches in 280 ODIs. The player announced his international retirement in 2008.
8. Jacques Kallis
The former player from South Africa is one of the best all-rounders to have ever played the game. The right-handed batter and a right-arm medium-fast bowler was born in 1975 in Cape Town. The player made his international debut in a test match against England in 1995. Soon he was given the ODI cap in 1996. He has scored 11579 runs in his ODI career and has also scalped 273 wickets. The all-rounder was a great fielder and took 131 catches in 328 ODIs. He retired from ODIs in 2014.
9. Younis Khan
Younis Khan was a former right-handed middle-order batsman for Pakistan. Born in 1977, the batter made his test debut against Sri Lanka and scored a fighting century which unfortunately ended in a losing cause. The batter was one of the best white-ball batters for Pakistan. Along with his captaincy, he was a great contributor with the bat. He announced his international retirement after the 2015 World Cup and has 130 catches in 265 matches to his name.
10. Muttiah Muralitharan
Muttiah Muralitharan was a former off-break bowler for Sri Lanka. Born in 1972, the player made his international debut in 1992 in a test match against Australia. Soon he was given the ODI cap next year. He is considered one of the legends of spin bowling and has made immense contributions to Sri Lankan cricket. He has scalped 800 test wickets and 534 ODI wickets. He was also a great fielder who took 130 catches in 350 matches. The bowler served his nation for nearly 18 years before announcing his retirement in 2011.
