Top 10 Best Fielders in Cricket History
Cricket has a long and storied history, dating back to the 16th century. Initially, fielding was not given much emphasis. It was all about batting and bowling. But as the game evolved, the importance of fielding became evident.
In the early days, the fielders were often stationary, and their primary role was to stop the ball. However, with the advent of one-day cricket in the 1970s and subsequently T20 cricket, fielding took on a whole new dimension. The pace of the game increased, and so did the need for dynamic and athletic fielders.
From the lightning-quick reflexes of those manning the slips to the acrobatic leaps of boundary riders, these are the fielders who have redefined the art of fielding in cricket. They move with the agility of a cat, the precision of a watchmaker, and the speed of a sprinter. Their contributions might not always make the headlines, but they are the backbone of any great team, saving crucial runs and creating game-changing moments.
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Suresh Raina
Suresh Kumar Raina is a former Indian international cricketer. A left‑handed middle‑order batsman and occasional off-break bowler, he represented India from 2005 to 2018. Raina captained Chennai Super Kings in the IPL and retired from all forms in August 2020.
Suresh Raina is a live wire on the field! He is energetic, enthusiastic, and always encouraging bowlers.
Suresh Raina once tweeted about a proud moment in his career. He met Jonty Rhodes, who thought Raina was the best fielder in India. This is something Raina is extremely proud of.
Raina is often referred to as India's Jonty!
He is an aggressive fielder with all abilities. He has no second thoughts about stopping the ball or catching it. He never leaves the ball without attempting to stop it.
Suresh Raina represents the new-age Indian cricketer. An attacking left-hander who goes for the big shots with impunity and clears the field with a swashbuckling flourish when at the top of his game, Raina is also equally capable of attracting applause as an electric fielder in the circle. All of this, though, is tempered by the short ball, which has been mercilessly exposed in Test cricket.
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Jonty Rhodes
It's not even a close call, to be fair. Yes, there are some exceptional fielders out there, such as Ponting, Collingwood, Yuvraj, Gibbs, and Dilshan to name a few. But they don't come close to the man who practically reinvented fielding: Jonty Rhodes. It's simple - the guy was a genius.
No doubt that he is the best fielder. He is a top-class field man who is great for South Africa. It's a God-given gift.
He has exceptional speed. He is like a missile or a rocket that flies all over the ground. No one can compare to him. It's true that he is a rocket and he rocks the full ground. He will lead the pack at all times. He is a great rocket!
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Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh is a former Indian cricketer who played in all international formats, including Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. He rose to prominence during the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup and played a pivotal role in India's World Cup victory in 2011. In 2011, he was diagnosed with a rare germ-cell cancer but successfully... read more
I love him. I am his fan. He is the No. 2 fielder after Jonty. He is the number 1 Indian fielder. Nice man.
He is an incredible fielder. He is the only fielder to turn impossible catches into possible ones. I like the way he catches the ball. He makes awesome catches. He is the best flying catcher ever.
He is the lone player in the world who made a comeback after cancer. According to me, he is the best man when he is in the field.
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AB de Villiers
Abraham Benjamin de Villiers, commonly known as AB de Villiers or Mr. 360, is a retired South African international cricketer. He played for the South African national team from 2004 to 2018 and was widely admired for his innovative batting style and versatility. De Villiers also played in various domestic... read more
Yeah, that sure makes a whole lot of sense. Suresh Raina, the best fielder? Better than AB and even Jonty? AB is, by a thousand miles, the best fielder today. His speed, intensity, and reflexes are amazing.
Jonty is king, but if ever there was a prince, there's no doubt who it is. And you all might think I'm a South African showing blind support for Jonty and AB, but guess what? I'm an Indian settled in India too. Wow, Suresh Raina... What a joke.
Jonty is undoubtedly the legend here, and he is impossible to beat. However, we have to consider the situation. AB has been the best fielder in his generation, without a doubt, and you have to add his wicket-keeping ability to that. So, that makes him an all-rounder in the fielding department (if someone thinks that way).
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Ravindra Jadeja
Reflexes, accuracy, and agility - he has it all. The cover point region is impregnable when he is lurking there. A lightning-fast throwing arm makes him a potent outfield fielder as well.
He is the best fielder in this current era. He has the rare instinct of hitting the stumps directly. Most of the time, he never drops a catch. He has a powerful left hand.
Best in Indian cricket history. All the direct-hit run-outs he has earned add an edge over any fielders. Probably the best in the current era.
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Ricky Ponting
Ricky Thomas Ponting is an Australian cricket coach, commentator, and former international cricketer. He captained the Australian national team in its most successful era and is widely considered one of the greatest batsmen in cricket history. As of 2025, he serves as head coach of the Punjab Kings in... read more
Ricky is simply the best. No match for him. A brilliant athlete. A terrific fielder. The safest catcher. Owner of a rocket arm. The runout genius. He has run out more batsmen than one could ever imagine. He has the ability to hit when it matters. Ricky is the best. Ricky is the king!
I don't know why I bother with these polls. They're a bit rigged, really, when 2 billion Indians just vote for Indians. Jonty Rhodes is number 1, followed by Ricky Ponting, without a doubt.
Ricky is amazing. He can catch anything and hits the stumps nearly every throw. He is also #3 in the list of best batters of all time. GO RICKY!
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Shahid Afridi
Sahibzada Mohammad Shahid Khan Afridi, widely known as Boom Boom, is a retired Pakistani cricketer. He played international cricket from 1996 to 2017 and was known for his aggressive batting and leg-spin bowling. Afridi famously held the record for the fastest century in One Day Internationals for nearly... read more
One of the most outstanding fielders of all time. He always used to show courage toward the bowlers and other fielders. According to both me and the facts, I have never seen him drop a catch or commit a misfield.
One of his memorable catches was taken against England in a tri-series that also included New Zealand, in the semi-final of the Champions Trophy. Another notable moment was the running catch against the Kiwis in the 2009 T20 World Cup.
When it comes to enthusiasm, we all have to admit that he is the lifeline on the cricket ground. He is the most beloved player in the cricketing world due to his passion and style.
Shahid Afridi is the best fielder because of his run-outs and catches. He also holds a great record for hitting a hundred in 37 balls. One of the best catches he took was against New Zealand. He is the best fielder in the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board).
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Kieron Pollard
My God, what catches he takes! He is airborne. You should see his diving catches. They are the best catches in the whole world.
What about the one where he had to throw the ball back over his shoulder because he was running into the rope and took a diving catch? Sensational.
He is one of the best fielders in the world! The catch he took at IPL 2019 against CSK's Suresh Raina was amazing! Love you, Pollard!
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Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is an Indian cricketer who was born on November 5, 1988. He formerly captained the India national team in all formats, but stepped down as ODI captain in January 2022. As of July 2025, Kohli continues to play international cricket but no longer serves in a leadership role.
I doubt that he is the best fielder. The way he moves to take the ball into his arms is really unbelievable. He is simply the best. Nobody can be like him or even come close.
He is an exception and a legend in fielding. His speed is like that of a rocket. Brilliance like his will almost be impossible to equal. He leads the pack in the all-time greats of fielding.
Virat Kohli is a great player for the Indian team. Whenever he hits a century, India mostly doesn't lose the match. In Test matches, he has hit 18 centuries, and out of those 18 matches, India lost only 4 (drawn: 6, won: 8).
In ODI matches, he has hit 32 centuries, and out of those 32 matches, India lost only 5 and won 27. He has an average of 50 in all three formats (Test: 50.13, ODI: 55.74, T20: 52.86).
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Mohammad Kaif
Friends, have you forgotten this player? He is not on this list because he is not so popular. He is neither a good batsman nor a good bowler. But without any doubt, he is the number 1 fielder in the history of Indian cricket.
He was saving at least 20-30 runs in every match for India. His diving catches and superb run-outs are unforgettable. He is truly the best fielder in Indian cricket history. He is even better than Raina and Yuvraj. So please vote for him.
He is indeed a good batsman as well. Every cricketer goes through bad times. But this player was dropped from the national side after Dhoni was made captain. We miss him to this day. Jonty Rhodes has indeed regarded Kaif as one of the best fielders after him.
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Gus Logie
Kaif, Brett Lee, and Pollard being ahead of a genuinely all-time great fielder like Logie is a crime. He was almost a glorified fielding pick, although a handy batsman too.
The world's best fielder I have watched since 1983.
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Viv Richards
Viv Richards, Colin Bland, Jonty Rhodes, Paul Sheahan, Mark Waugh, and the one that modern-day so-called experts forget, Clive Lloyd. Those are my top six offhand.
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Paul Collingwood
1. Watch other fielders' body language while Collingwood is taking a catch.
2. Watch other players' reactions towards Collingwood after taking a catch, and they left the bowler stranded.
3. Watch the batsman's face and expression after Collingwood finishes his job.
4. Hear the commentator's immediate response regarding Collingwood's catch.
5. Imagine and try yourself in Collingwood's position to take that catch.
That's it.
Yes! The expressions of other fielders, the bowler, the opposition's batsman, and the commentators' comments said it all, that Collingwood is truly one of the legends who had ever played the great game of cricket.
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Herschelle Gibbs
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Rohit Sharma
Rohit Gurunath Sharma is an Indian international cricketer who plays as an opening batsman and captains the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League. He has scored over 10,000 runs in international limited-overs formats and holds the record for the highest individual score in a One Day International... read more
He is the best fielder in the cricket world. No one is like him in the slip, and if you have seen his catches, then there's no doubt he is the best.
In my opinion, Rohit is the best player after Jonty Rhodes. His fielding is really nice to watch.
Best fielder. Always saves boundaries and catches beautifully.
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Brett Lee
Brett Lee is a former Australian international cricketer and film actor. Known for his express pace, he was one of the fastest bowlers in cricket history. After retiring from cricket, Lee worked as a commentator for Channel Nine and has also appeared in several films, including in India.
He is just athletic. His throwing is the best. It always goes to the right place, and he is also very fast in the field.
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Michael Hussey
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Abdul Razzaq
He is one of the best fielders I have seen!
He catches with one hand near the boundary and stands with one foot.
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Shoaib Malik
He is the world-class fielder and all-rounder I have ever seen.
Excellent fielder! Should be in the top 5!
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Mark Waugh
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Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, commonly known as MS Dhoni, is an Indian international cricketer who captained the Indian national cricket team. Under his leadership, India won the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup, the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. Dhoni is considered one of the most successful... read more
No one like Thala. He is No. 1 forever. He made the fastest stumping on this earth. He should be No. 2 on this list, and Jonty Rhodes should be No. 1. Suresh Raina is a crap fielder.
The best Indian wicket-keeper. Mahi Bhai, I cannot compare you with anyone!
He must be after Raina. Who can do lightning stumping like him?
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Steve Smith
How is Smith not higher? He is one of the greatest fielders of the modern era and has produced some of the greatest catches of the century!
He is the best fielder in the IPL. That's why everybody calls him Superman. He is a great fielder in cricket.
He takes one-handed blinders in almost every game. He is the best at the moment.
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Misbah-ul-Haq
Misbah-ul-Haq Khan Niazi is a former Pakistani international cricketer and coach. He played for the national team from 2001 to 2017 and captained Pakistan in all three formats. After retiring from international play, he served as both the head coach and chief selector of the Pakistan national team.
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Andrew Symonds
He managed to secure a spot in a top-quality side, despite not being a great batsman or bowler. He would constantly supply run-outs and superb catches, and I don't recall him ever dropping a catch.
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Eknath Solkar
He always used to stand close-in without a helmet and yet fielded so very well. Bishan Bedi remembers him catching Tony Lewis in the Kolkata Test in 1973. "Tony went for a big shot, and Ekki, standing at forward short-leg, took a rare evasive action. He ducked, but then, hearing the bat not middle the ball, quickly turned around and dived to pick up an unbelievable catch. Tony took a while to leave, reluctantly acknowledging a superb feat. No one will forget Ekki catching Alan Knott in the Oval Test that we won in 1971."
What is he doing in thirteenth place? He should be crowned.
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Ajinkya Rahane
I feel he is one of the best fielders. His reflexes in slip catches are mind-blowing. He should be ranked among the top 3.
He's much better than Suresh Raina. This guy deserves to be in the top 3.
Best fielder Indians have ever had.
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Mark Taylor