- April 25, 2025
We all watch the IPL for the sixes that make it go to orbit, the toe-crushers that silence the crowd, the thrillers that generate edge-of-the-seat tension in the last over. But added to all of that, IPL 2025 gave us a new twist – dropped catches. Not just a couple – an astonishing 111 dropped catches in just the first 40 matches! If catches win matches, some teams would be sweating before they end up on their back – and possibly out of the playoffs.
Catches Dropped, Chances Lost: Breaking Down the Stats
Let’s get right into the harsh reality. After 40 matches, the league is averaging just under three (2.95) dropped catches per match, the most after 40 matches since 2020! The overall catching efficiency is currently a jarring 75.2%, the lowest figure in five years for the league as a whole. That’s right! One in four chances is being dropped. That pile of clay is frustrating enough without throwing it away for free.
The Delhi Capitals versus the Rajasthan Royals tie? Six lifetimes to drop six times, four from DC. The numbers tell us that catching efficiency in wins (77.8%) and losses (73.3%) isn’t that far apart. But there’s not much room for error in a game of inches, regardless, and in a cut-throat season, those few percentage points can lead to either a playoff spot or packing your bags early.
Misfields and Missed Opportunities: It’s More Than Just Drops
Dropped catches are just a fraction of the fielding circus this season. There have also been 247 poor fields and 172 missed run-outs, adding to the mayhem. That is double the total from the same point in 2024. The entire league has forgotten how to field.
Even seasoned campaigners can be careless under pressure. Rishabh Pant is notoriously sharp behind the stumps, but he has already dropped three catches this season – the most by any wicketkeeper. If Pants stumping goes on to come back to haunt DC after seeing Pant drop him, that will be a cruel ending as they fight for the table recently.
And then there is Abhishek Sharma, who dropped twice during his nuclear 141 against Punjab Kings. Both of which he made game-changing gold. This is the slippery nature of dropped catches; you drop an important batter early and brace for circumstantial pain.
Fielding: The Silent Game-Changer
Whether it be in the IPL or in other Twenty20 formats, where matches turn in favor of either team in the final over or in a Super Over with an edge of a few runs, fielding can quietly sway a game. Just ask the Mumbai Indians. They were able to adopt an 83.6% catch efficiency rate, just 14 misfields, and at least two game-changing run-outs (the crew recorded three run-outs in a single over!). Good fielding could determine the difference between tears and joy on the field.
Now, on the flip side, we have Chennai Super Kings. This crew has missed 16 opportunities with their gloves to date this season, shamefully, that should tell us all we need to know. Rajat Patidar dropped three times in a single innings, as RCB finally put an end to their 17-year hoodoo at the Chepauk. This is not just a one-off game, this is a full-fledged fielding disaster.
So, cricket fans, as you are shouting for your team’s next boundary or bouncer, pay attention to the fielders, because this IPL, every drop counts.
Who do you think has been the biggest surprise felon – or hero – in terms of fielding this season? Let us know your thoughts (not your catches) in the comments below!
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