Catches win matches, and that’s the old proverb going on from the start of the game of cricket. Whether it’s the T20s, the ODIs, or even the longest format of the game, catches always help a side in putting their dominance over the opponents. Fielding has always been a vital aspect in the game as it puts pressure on the sides with the new batters walking in. From Joe Root to Rahul Dravid to Mahela Jayawardene to Steve Smith, everyone has earned success in this field. 

One can look back at the opening Test of the ongoing five-match series between England and India, where the Shubman Gill-led side dropped four catches in their first innings, with the ball, at Leeds. Yashasvi Jaiswal was the culprit on many occasions, whether at the gully region or even in the outfield. The result was known to all as India lost the contest by five wickets with the home side chasing a record fourth-innings total.

Let’s take a look at the top 5 players with the most catches in Test cricket.

5. Jacques Kallis (200 catches)

There was hardly anything the former South African player couldn’t do. If one needs to score runs at the top, or pick wickets in the middle overs, or grab those fine catches at the slip region, or any other places in the ground, Jacques Kallis would always walk at the top. The veteran is fifth on the list of most catches in the longest format with 200 scalps in 315 innings. He had bucket hands, and there was hardly any catch that he dropped in his days.

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He was also the third highest run-getter of the longest format with 13289 runs in 280 innings at an average of 45.37, thanks to 45 centuries and 58 half-centuries at the best score of 224 runs.

4. Steve Smith (200 catches)

The former Australia captain and the current batter of the side, Steve Smith, is fourth on the list, jointly with Kallis, thanks to 200 catches in 225 innings. He will have a chance, though, to go up the ladder. Smith is another fabulous fielder in the slip region. There are the brilliant one-handed grabs from the New South Wales batter that caught the eyes of the fans around the globe. Smith always stands with relaxed hands and pays full concentration to the ball till the last moment to grab it.

At the start of the year 2025, Smith crossed the 10000-run mark in the red-ball format and now has 10424 runs in 260 innings at an average of 53.62 with 36 centuries.

3. Mahela Jayawardene (205 catches)

c Mahela Jayawardene b Muttiah Muralidharan will always be the best combination in the five-day format. Whenever a team used to trip Sri Lanka in the past, the fear was the former legendary off-spinner. But he was excellent only because Mahela used to stand with his big safe hands at the slip region and caught thousands of the bowlers. Whenever a batter used to get an outside edge, there was no meaning to back; Mahela had already picked it.

With the bat, the Sri Lankan legend finished with 11814 runs as the country’s second leading run-getter in 280 innings at an average of nearly 50 with 34 centuries at the best score of 374.

2. Rahul Dravid (210 catches)

The amount of concentration the former Indian captain had; he was bound to be a successful slip fielder. Rahul Dravid was always attentive at the bowler with the bat, and it was the same case in the slip position. He was the leader of the list for a long time before slipping down to the second position. Dravid has picked up 210 catches in 301 innings. He will be among the best slip fielders, compared to many former players.

With the blade, he is the fourth-highest run-getter with 13288 runs in 286 innings at an average of 52.31 and a strike rate of 42.51, shouldering 36 centuries.

1. Joe Root (211 catches)

It was the Karun Nair wicket in the evening session of the third Lord’s Test that helped Joe Root overtake Dravid, as he now has 211 catches, the most by a fielder in the longest format, in 296 innings. Fielding in England is not an easy job. The ball tends to come at them most often, and that puts pressure on the fielders all the time. Also, the chilly weather doesn’t help in keeping the hands soft and warm. But Root was decent in the job.

He also went past Dravid earlier on the same day with 37 Test centuries and is now the fifth leading run-getter with 13219 runs in 284 innings at an average of 50.84. His eyes are the cherry on the cake, Sachin Tendulkar’s 15921 runs in 329 innings. At this age, he is still a fit guy to break the record.

The Indian captain, Rohit Sharma, has been coming in as an Impact Player in recent games during IPL 2025, leading to discussions among fans and some experts on just how little surface time he has had on the field. The former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene, a current cricket consultant, revealed the issue: Rohit has had a niggle since the Champions Trophy and is trying to manage it well.

Jayawardene, who has been very close with Rohit during his stint with the Mumbai Indians, stated that the approach to use him as an Impact Player is a decision being made as it is a means of reducing the physical toll on him. “Rohit has been playing with a slight niggle, which he picked up in the Champions Trophy. It's not a serious injury, but the management is being careful to make sure he is fit to play in bigger tournaments coming up,” Jayawardene mentioned.

From a management standpoint, by applying the Impact Player rule, the Indian team and management can maintain the batsman's contributions with the bat without having to put much more physical load through fielding. His contributions will certainly be valued, while at the same time not compromising his condition. In effect, this has allowed an ongoing injury to be managed by using the Impact Player rule, which was developed to allow the teams to hydrate their player combinations but has now become a means of managing workloads, especially for senior players with minor injuries.

A Tactical Shift for Longevity

Jayawardene also stressed that Rohit's inclusion, even as an Impact Player, is of enormous value to the side. His laid-back captaincy, strategic input, and opening experience are central to India's plan of play. "Rohit is an integral part of the setup. Even when he is not in the field, his batting and captaincy still set the tone for the team," Jayawardene further pointed out.

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With a crowded cricket schedule in front of it, featuring the T20 World Cup and important bilateral series, India is obviously thinking long-term with its captain. Keeping Rohit fit now may be the difference between short-term risk and long-term reward. The team management's cautious approach to the situation shows a balance between competitive necessity and long-term planning.

Success in international cricket is measured by titles, performances under pressure and match winning performances. One major metric to gauge a player’s impact is the number of wins he has been part of in ICC white ball events (ODIs and T20Is). A recent list has the top cricketers with the most wins in ICC events and it’s no surprise that modern day greats like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma top the list.

With 72 wins in 90 matches, Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli has been part of the most number of wins in ICC white ball tournaments. His ability to perform on the biggest stage, whether in World Cups, Champions Trophy or T20 World Cups, makes him one of the most important cricketers of his era. Kohli’s match winning performances, especially in high pressure games have been the reason for India’s success over the years.

India’s current captain Rohit Sharma is just behind Kohli with 70 wins in 90 matches. He is known for his effortless stroke play and ability to rise in big tournaments, Rohit has been a key player in India’s wins in ICC events.He has centuries in World Cups and has led, so he’s one of the all time greats.

The list also features some of the most decorated cricketers in history.

• Mahela Jayawardene (Sri lanka) - 57 wins in 93 matches
• Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) - 56 wins in 90 matches
• Ravindra Jadeja (India) - 52 wins in 70 matches
• Ricky Ponting (Australia) - 52 wins 70 matches
• MS Dhoni (India) - 52 wins in 78 matches                                                                                                                                                                                         

Sri Lankan greats Jayawardene and Sangakkara were the main men in their team’s success in the 2000s and early 2010s, taking Sri Lanka to multiple ICC finals, including a T20 World Cup win in 2014.

Part of Most wins in ICC Events (White Ball)

72 - Virat Kohli (90 Matches)
70 - Rohit Sharma (90 Matches)
57 - Mahela Jayawardene (93 Matches)
56 - Kumar Sangakkara (90 Matches)
52 - Ravindra Jadeja (66 Matches)
52 - Ricky Ponting (70 Matches)
52 - MS Dhoni (78 Matches)… pic.twitter.com/Ewz1f7K7s2

— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) March 10, 2025

Also Read: Cricketers Who Made Stunning Comebacks Thanks to IPL

MS Dhoni, the Indian captain, is also on this list with 52 wins in 78 matches. He led India to win the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy, so he’s one of the most successful captains in ICC history.

It is a mark of the players' consistent performances and their ability to perform in the clutch in ICC white ball events that the list is as it stands today. This has written a new chapter in the history of cricket with Kohli and Rohit leading India as captain, while legends of the game like Dhoni, Ponting and Jayawardene have come to the crease and left their mark. As the next ICC tournaments approach, fans will be waiting to see who rises to the top and adds to their legacy.

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 edition kickstarts from February 19. The 9th edition of the tournament will be played in Pakistan and UAE (only for India matches). The top eight teams that qualified for the Champions Trophy from the 2023 World Cup will grind it hard to win the title.

With over eight editions being played, the tournament has seen it all amidst the clashes between the best versus best sides. One such element would be veteran batting campaigners who have shown their impact by scoring some pivotal and large count of runs. That said, here are the top five batters with the most runs across the ICC Champions Trophy timeline.

Former India Seamer Paras Mhambrey has been appointed as Mumbai Indians bowling coach for the IPL 2025 season. Paras Mhambrey, who was previously an assistant coach with Mumbai Indians, will now work with current bowling coach Lasith Malinga under the team’s new head coach, Mahela Jayawardene.

Paras Mhambrey was part of Team India's World Cup 2024 winning campaign in the West Indies under Head Coach Rahul Dravid. He was also part of the Mumbai Indians' winning campaigns of IPL 2013 and Champions League T20.

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He has experience of coaching in Domestic cricket as he coached India A side. He led Bengal to consecutive Ranji Finals in 2005-06 and 2006-07. He played two Tests and three ODIs for Team India between the period of 1996 and 1998. He played Domestic Cricket for Team Mumbai, scalped 284 wickets in 91 first-class games and 111 wickets in 83 List-A games.

See Also:- Mahela Jayawardene returns to Mumbai Indians coaching

On Sunday, Mumbai Indians announced the return of Former Srilankan Captain Mahela Jayawardene as the head coach for the upcoming season. The team bid adieu to Head Coach Mark Boucher who served them between 2023 to 2024. Mark Boucher failed to take the team into the playoffs last season as they finished last in the points table with just 4 wins out of 14 matches under the leadership of Hardik Pandya.

So, Head Coach Mahela Jayawardene and his coaching staff now need to decide whom they should retain ahead of the Mega Auction as the deadline to submit the retentions is 31 October.

The five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians (MI) have appointed Mahela Jayawardene as the head coach of the team.

Former Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene was previously the head coach of Mumbai Indians between 2017 and 2022. Under his previous coaching tenure, Mumbai Indians won three IPL trophies.  

Former South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher was the previous head coach of Mumbai Indians. Boucher played the head coach role for the team for two years (2023 and 2024). While MI finished in the last or 10th place in the last IPL season, they were eliminated from the Qualifier 2 in the IPL 2023. 

In 2022, Jayawardene became the franchise’s global head of performance. Apart from the IPL, the MI franchise is present in UAE’s ILT20 (MI Emirates), South Africa’s SA20 (MI Cape Town), and the USA’s MLC (MI New York). 

Mahela Jayawardene on MI family

In the official statement on his MI head coach return, Jayawardene said, "My journey within the MI family has always been one of evolution. In 2017, the focus was on bringing together a talented group of individuals to play the best cricket ever and we did very well. Now to return, at the same moment in history, where we look ahead at the future and the opportunity to further strengthen the love of MI, build on the vision of the owners, and continue to add to the history of Mumbai Indians, is an exciting challenge I am looking forward to."

Jayawardene is also working with the Hundred team Southern Brave and the Bangladesh Premier League team Khulna Titans. 

Legendary South African umpire Marais Erasmus, who recently retired from international cricket umpiring, reminisced about his encounters with some of the toughest players during his esteemed career. Among them, former captains Ricky Ponting and Mahela Jayawardene stood out as particularly challenging to officiate.

Marais Erasmus speaks about toughest players

Marais Erasmus said,”It’s a challenging job but it’s also a very rewarding job. New Zealand were always very, very respectful. Ricky Ponting and Mahela Jayawardene tried to intimidate us. Sometimes it was subtle and sometimes not subtle. There are moments where you think ‘why am I doing this stuff’ but there’s so many more positive moments and benefits and I’ve never actually seen it as work.”

Ponting, renowned for his leadership and cricketing prowess, guided Australia to ODI World Cup victories in 2003 and 2007, while Jayawardene led Sri Lanka to the 2007 World Cup final. Their combined captaincy experience amounts to an impressive 510 matches, with 301 victories between them. Ponting holds the distinction of being the third-highest run-scorer in international cricket, amassing over 27,000 runs, while Jayawardene ranks fifth with almost 26,000 runs to his name.

“Thank god Jimmy (Anderson) was never captain” 

In addition to Ponting and Jayawardene, Erasmus also cited the formidable English pacers James Anderson and Stuart Broad as formidable adversaries on the field. “Thank god Jimmy (Anderson) was never captain but no, no Jimmy was hard work. You knew that he was not a character that you should, you know, try and sweet talk or whatever. I normally just gave him quite abrupt, short answers,” said Erasmus.

“Because if you got into a debate with him it was going to be never-ending, especially when you spoke to Jimmy about the running on the wicket. He would argue it. I just said ‘you’re on the danger zone, try and get off. If you don’t I will give you a warning. It is not going to be a debate.’ Stuart Broad was challenging as well sometimes but he and Jimmy are fiery fast bowlers and that’s the way it should be,” he added.

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With a staggering tally of over 1,300 wickets between them, Anderson and Broad constitute the most successful bowling pair in Test cricket history. Despite Broad’s recent retirement with 604 Test scalps to his name, Anderson continues to dominate the longest format of the game. His recent achievement of surpassing the milestone of 700 Test wickets solidifies his status as one of the premier bowlers in cricket history, trailing only behind spin legends Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan.