WATCH: Top 5 best catches in T20 World Cup history
From unreal run-chases to jaw-dropping catches, the T20 World Cup has always managed to keep the fans at the edge of their seats.
The upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024 is the next big cricketing event after the culmination of the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024). The mega-event this time will be held across two nations - the USA and West Indies and will start from June 2.
The T20 World Cups, over the years, have built a reputation for delivering mouthwatering action and high-octane clashes. From unreal run-chases to jaw-dropping catches, the tournament has always managed to keep the fans at the edge of their seats.
In this article, we take a look at the Top 5 catches in the history of the tournament. Let's dive into the archives!
Dinesh Karthik vs South Africa (2007)
No T20 World Cup catch list is complete without mentioning Dinesh Karthik's Superman effort in the flagship edition of the tournament way back in 2007.
The dynamic wicketkeeper-batter, who was stationed at the gully region, was seen flying off the ground to hold onto a thick outside edge of South Africa star Graeme Smith's bat. The catch was so fabulous that it prompted then-skipper MS Dhoni to hand over his gloves to Karthik behind the wicket.
Kyle Coetzer vs South Africa (2009)
The second catch to make this special list is taken by Scotland's Kyle Coetzer, who produced a blinder to get rid of South Africa's Mark Boucher in the T20 World Cup 2009 edition.
Boucher aimed for a possible six by striking the ball towards long-on. Coetzer, positioned there, jumped and stretched out his right hand to prevent the ball from crossing the boundary. Despite falling backwards, he completed the spectacular catch.
Coetzer, sprinted from long-on and was "desperate" to make the catch in his own words, as he leapt and managed to grab the ball with a remarkable 'Superman-like' effort.
#OnThisDay in 2009, Kyle Coetzer took a blinder to dismiss Mark Boucher in Scotland's ICC Men's #T20WorldCup match against South Africa 🙌
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) June 7, 2020
Do you remember a better catch from that tournament? pic.twitter.com/jO4o1W78B3
AB de Villiers vs Pakistan (2012)
Undoubtedly one of the best fielders of his generation, Proteas star AB de Villiers gave a sheer testament to his fielding prowess with one of the finest catches in T20 World Cup history. The former South African shone with the gloves during the 2012 edition of the T20 World Cup.
De Villiers, initially stationed on his back foot, had to quickly move forward to take a catch off Pakistan's Imran Nazir, who was attempting to pull against Dale Steyn. After hitting the gloves, the ball lost speed and dropped towards De Villiers, who showed incredible reflexes in limited reaction time, and agility to successfully catch it at the penultimate moment.
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Michael Leask vs Zimbabwe (2016)
Scotland, making only their third appearance in the T20I World Cup during the 2016 eidition, captivated audiences with their impressive fielding. Michael Leask led the charge, executing a remarkable catch to dismiss Richmond Mutumbami of Zimbabwe.
Placed at the long-off boundary, Leask initially fumbled the catch. However, his quick reflexes allowed him to extend his arm and secure the ball on the second attempt.
Initially, the ball touched his palms and seemed destined for the boundary but Leask’s sharp reflexes and keen awareness enabled him to quickly regain control. He swiftly dove to his right, catching the ball with one hand to complete a stellar catch.
Ryan Burl vs India (2022)
Team Zimbabwe had a memorable tournament in the last edition of the T20 World Cup, finishing at the top of their group in the preliminary round and achieving a historic victory over Pakistan in the Super 12s.
In addition, individual brilliance shone through when Zimbabwe's Ryan Burl stunned everyone with a spectacular diving catch to dismiss Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant during a group-stage match.
With the score at 98/3 after 13 overs, the Indian middle-order batters were set to capitalize.
However, the third ball of the 14th over by Sean Williams became a turning point for Zimbabwe. Pant, searching for his first boundary, attempted a slog-sweep towards long-on, appearing to be headed for a safe landing.
But Ryan Burl had other plans. Sprinting at full speed to his left, Burl covered a remarkable distance and stretched out perfectly to take a magnificent catch.