Which team has the lowest catch rate? Which bowler has missed the most wickets? And which batter has had the least luck? All the key questions: addressed.
The first 29 matches of IPL 2024 have seen many memorable batting and bowling moments, but the fielding department hasn’t had a great season. As might be expected in a league of elite athletes, there have been a few highlight reel receptions, but overall the catching has been far from stellar.
Just 273 of the 360 catching and stumping opportunities that have been created thus far have led to dismissals. Out of the past five IPL seasons, this one had by far the lowest success percentage at 75.83%. The number has increased by 45% to 3.0 drops per match from a pace of 2.07 drops per match the previous season
SEASON OF MISSES
CHANCES DROPPED & TAKEN, IN LAST 5 IPL SEASONS
With 12 and 11 drops, respectively, Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans have been the two teams with the most careless play on the pitch. Kolkata Knight Riders are next, with 10. The Titans and Knight Riders have a percentage under 75%, while the Capitals have the worst percentage, less than 68, out of all the teams that have produced chances.
Despite their dismal start to the season, the Mumbai Indians have excelled in one area thus far: maintaining opportunities. Their efficiency of 81.82% leads the league, just edging out the Chennai Super Kings’ 79.41
THE TEAM REPORT CAR
PERCENTAGE OF CHANCES TAKEN BY TEAMS IN IPL 2024
Punjab Kings biggest beneficiaries
Six more than the amount of spills, the Kings have reaped 15 such reprieves. Three of those reprieves occurred against Sunrisers Hyderabad in an exciting one-over chase that ended in defeat as Ashutosh Sharma was dropped three times off Jaydev Unadkat. Sunrisers is the only other team with a positive net score of six; they have been reprieved 14 times, with four of those times going to Travis Head, but have missed eight opportunities.
The Titans, on the other hand, have a score of minus 10 because they have only had two opportunities for reprieves while giving the opposition hitters twelve. Seven of those came in games they ultimately won, but there were also a few costly let-downs: Ashutosh was dismissed after three balls and went on to make a winning run-chase with 17 balls left, while Ruturaj Gaikwad was removed after one in the opening over and went on to score 46.
THE TEAM-WISE NUMBERS
CHANCES MISSED WHEN FIELDING & BATTING
Maxwell drops Warner, a surprise?
With four drops apiece, Abdul Samad and Harshal Patel are the two fielders who have made mistakes the most. Glenn Maxwell and David Warner are the two names on the list that are less expected. In addition to having a terrible time at bat—32 runs in six innings—Maxwell has also blown three close calls.
BUTTERFINGERS
PLAYERS WHO HAVE MISSED THE MOST CHANCES
The players who have taken advantage of every opportunity that has come their way are at the other end of the list. Nicholas Pooran, Dhruv Jurel, and KL Rahul lead the group of players with an impeccable record with six dismissals each (albeit Rahul’s total includes a stumping). So far, four other people have a perfect 4-0 record.
THE GOLD MEDALISTS
MOST CHANCES TAKEN WITHOUT DROPPING ANY
Despite only having played three innings in the IPL, Ashutosh has now received the most reprieves of any batter in the competition with six. Three of those, as was previously said, came in one over. Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Head have all had three let-offs, while Riyan Parag and Head have had four.
THE LUCKY BATTERS
MOST REPRIEVES FOR BATTERS THIS SEASON
Receiving a reprieve is one thing, but making the most of it is quite another. When Kohli was on 65 against the Rajasthan Royals, Nandre Burger lost a tough one, and Kohli finished with 113. Against the Kings, Kohli was dropped by Jonny Bairstow on the second ball, and he ended up with 77. After being dropped, Kohli scored the most runs—125—of any hitter, and at a strike rate of 171. The only other batter to reach the century mark after receiving a reprieve is Parag, who has scored an additional 100 runs in the three innings since being dropped. When a batter is dropped more than once in an inning, the first reprieve is taken into account.
Jos Buttler’s 94 runs against the Royals is the highest number of runs a batter has scored following a let-off, following a tough one from Cameron Green when he was on six. Next up comes Kohli’s 77 against the Kings, and then Parag’s 76 against the Titans, in which he dropped Matthew Wade’s opening delivery.
MAKING THE LUCK COUNT
MOST RUNS SCORED AFTER MISSED CHANCES
And lastly, a peek at the unfortunate bowlers who have suffered the most as a result of these squandered opportunities: Sam Curran and Khaleel Ahmed have lost four catches off their bowling. The slash by Salt that Rishabh Pant missed but which the umpire ultimately marked as a bye is included in Khaleel’s four.
THE LUCKLESS BOWLERS
MOST MISSED CHANCES OFF A BOWLER IN IPL 2024
All is not lost though. With more than half the season remaining, every team has an opportunity to improve their numbers.