A recurring sight in IPL 2025, beyond the towering sixes and the noise, has been the dropped catches. It’s almost become part of the script. In the first 40 matches alone, there have been 111 dropped catches. That’s the most at this stage of any IPL since 2020. And every one of those drops comes with a story.
Take the 40th match for instance. Three dropped catches in just the first half. The first two were tricky, yes, but the third? Tristan Stubbs had it. Ayush Badoni got lucky in the 16th over. And how did he repay that luck? With 33 more runs before finally being dismissed in the last over. That’s the kind of moment that stays with teams. Stubbs now has four drops this season. Same as Khaleel Ahmed. That’s the most by any player so far.
It didn’t cost the visitors much in this case. They chased down 160 easily. Eight wickets. 13 balls left. Even so, Prince Yadav dropped one too. That one came late. But still. Patterns don’t lie. And the numbers? They’re starting to scream.
The Numbers Behind the Glare
One out of every four chances has been shelled. That’s a 75.2 percent catching efficiency. It’s the lowest since 2020. And it doesn’t stop there. 247 misfields. 172 missed run outs due to poor throws. Those are double what we saw in 2024.
And somewhere in all those quiet errors, someone mentioned 1x download. Not in a loud, promo kind of way. Just casually. Like part of the cricket chat. The kind of name you hear around dugouts, when people are looking at scorecards or watching replays. It slips into the commentary, quietly. Much like some of these fielding lapses.
Fielding Breakdown (First 40 Matches)
- 2020: 95 drops, 76.3 percent catching
- 2021: 93 drops, 77.9 percent
- 2022: 104 drops, 79 percent
- 2023: 78 drops, 81.8 percent
- 2024: 110 drops, 76.9 percent
- 2025: 111 drops, 75.2 percent
Run outs missed? Up. Misfields? Up. Even stumpings missed have ticked up. And every one of these has a match or a moment tied to it.
Mumbai Lead the Field
Mumbai Indians are the outliers. They’re top in fielding. Catching efficiency of 83.6 percent. Just 14 misfields. Three run outs in a single over sealed a game in Delhi. That turned their season around. Not flashy. Just precise. Meanwhile, others are leaking runs and moments.
Team Fielding Snapshot
|
Team |
Matches |
Catches |
Dropped |
Catching % |
Run-outs Missed |
RO% |
Misfields |
|
MI |
8 |
41 |
8 |
83.6 |
24 |
18.7 |
14 |
|
RCB |
8 |
35 |
7 |
83.3 |
19 |
5 |
31 |
|
KKR |
8 |
35 |
7 |
83.3 |
12 |
7.1 |
18 |
|
GT |
8 |
41 |
11 |
78.8 |
18 |
0 |
21 |
|
SRH |
7 |
28 |
9 |
75.6 |
13 |
7.1 |
25 |
|
RR |
8 |
31 |
11 |
73.8 |
17 |
10.5 |
26 |
|
LSG |
9 |
37 |
14 |
72.5 |
22 |
7.6 |
35 |
|
PBKS |
8 |
29 |
13 |
69 |
20 |
4.7 |
23 |
|
DC |
8 |
33 |
15 |
68.7 |
14 |
26.3 |
28 |
|
CSK |
8 |
27 |
16 |
62.7 |
13 |
18.7 |
26 |
Catches and Outcomes
They say catches win matches. But it’s not so simple. Catching efficiency in wins is 77.8 percent. In losses? 73.3 percent. Close. But small differences matter. Just ask DC and RR.
Their tie had six drops. DC still won in the Super Over.
Stubbs was dropped in that game too. Parag missed it. Stubbs added 34 unbeaten. Then more chances missed. But Starc saved it at the death. Just.
What the Misses Mean
CSK are the worst hit. Sixteen dropped chances. Rajat Patidar made 51 after three chances. RCB won. Kohli and Salt were dropped in Jaipur. They made RR pay. Even Abhishek Sharma, with his brutal 141, got dropped twice. Plus one no ball. Everything matters.
The IPL is built on moments. Net run rates, close finishes, Super Overs. It all adds up. And fielding? Often forgotten. But just as loud when you look closer. That silence after a dropped catch? That can echo louder than any six.
