With the 2026 Indian Premier League heading towards the one-month point, there have been a lot of instances where a lot of catches have been missed in matches. On Saturday, as many as 15 catches were dropped in the Delhi Capitals vs Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad encounters which enabled players like Shreyas Iyer, Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to play big knocks after surviving, much to the chagrin of the opposition bowlers.
Former India player Mohammad Kaif, known for his excellent fielding skills in the prime of his career tried to explain why there were so many missed opportunities when it comes to catching.
According to the 45-year-old, this malaise of dropping catches was not something new to this edition of the IPL but it has been happening in other seasons as well, adding that tired players as well as less focus on fielding is to blame for them.
Fielding is hard labour and on most days it feels like a thankless job. Slogging under the hot sun doing fielding drills after a long batting session a nets might seem meaningless but it isn’t. The joy of holding on to the ball after a full-length fearless dive is unparalleled.… pic.twitter.com/Sn5UHD4KTc
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) April 25, 2026
“Everyone wants to know why there are missed catches in the IPL. Fielding is like a rushed meal, like breakfast. Breakfast has great importance. When the day is beginning, eating breakfast is necessary but no one sits and eats breakfast for half an hour. Everyone is rushing at that time. It’s the same with fielding. Everyone is in a hurry. Especially after the IPL has crossed a month, players get tired die to constant travelling and playing matches. So their full focus is on recovery. Like if there’s a break, they take rest, take a message or go to the swimming pool to relax,” he said in a video on his X account.
“Especially those who are in the playing XIs, coaches tell them to look after their bodies. Due to that fielding gets affected. You get tired and you don’t field as much. As the tournament goes on, players get tired when you play it in April-May, you play under hot conditions, it has an effect. So even if you are going to the ground, you mostly focus on on specialist job like bowling and batting. This happens every season. These missed catches will increase. When the IPL rolls towards its business end, pressure will mount as the players will be under pressure from the points table. You will see that effect on their fielding too. It’s a tradition of every year. Because you focus less on fielding and don’t spend much time fielding. The required movement which your legs need on the ground cannot be replicated at the gym,” he added.
