IPL: Top 4 instances when a fielder won a match for his team

The phrase 'catches win matches' has probably been overused, but is quite apt, especially in a game of inches that is the IPL. There have been some spectacular fielding displays in the IPL, efforts that could not have been imagined earlier. The fielding standards have gone up drastically, owing to the time spent on it in the training field. Every run matters, and general fitness levels in the sport is at its peak. There have, naturally, been culprits who have dropped sitters which have cost their teams the match; fielders are humans after all!

However, here we shall take a look at four fielding efforts that were not just spectacular, but also completely changed the course of the game.

#4 Martin Guptill

Guptill is known for being a safe pair of hands

The 51st match of 2017 was an incredible run-fest. The Kings XI put up a whopping 230 runs on the board thanks to an onslaught by Saha and handy cameos by Guptill, Maxwell, Marsh and Axar. The match looked all but over at the innings break, but the Mumbai Indians came out all guns blazing. Simmons and Parthiv put up an incredible 99 run opening stand in just 8.4 overs. The Mumbai Indians had a deep batting lineup and seemed to be cruising to the biggest run chase in IPL history.

It was in the 10th over that Martin Guptill changed the game. Lendl Simmons was cruising and had already deposited four deliveries into the stands. He looked to have gotten his fifth six of the game as he hit Maxwell's delivery towards long-on. Guptill timed his jump to perfection, plucking the ball out of thin air to pull off a one-handed screamer. Guptill took two other catches in the game, which the Kings XI narrowly won by a margin of only 7 runs.

Watch the spectacular catch here.

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#3 Axar Patel

Axar Patel isn't the best of fielders, but fires

in accurate

throws from the deep

Axar Patel isn't particularly renowned for his prowess in the field. However in May 2017, towards the fag end of the league stages, it was Axar's fielding efforts which shaped the course of the game. Chasing 163, the Knight Riders were cruising thanks to a blistering start by the explosive duo of Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn. Narine was dismissed in the powerplay and Gambhir fell in the tenth over after playing second fiddle to an inspired Chris Lynn.

The first turning point of the game was getting the in-form Robin Uthappa out on the very first ball that he faced, thanks to Axar sprinting to his right from deep midwicket, diving to complete the catch a foot from the ground with both hands. This put a brake on the Knight Riders' scoring, and bought Punjab back into the game.

Chris Lynn continued his assault though, and it was again Axar Patel's fielding that came to the rescue. His perfect throw from deep midwicket caught the Aussie short of his crease and sent him back to the pavilion with an impressive 52-ball 84. The Knight Riders finally fell short by 14 runs.

Watch the game-changing run out here.

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#2 George Bailey

George Bailey is a dynamic and athletic fielder

In 2014, the Qualifier 2 was played between the Kings XI Punjab and the Chennai Super Kings. The Kings XI Punjab had dominated the league stage and were looking to book a berth in the final and lift their maiden trophy. Chennai Super Kings were looking to extend their impressive legacy by featuring in yet another IPL final.

Kings XI Punjab batted first and it was a Virender Sehwag special. Viru smashed 122 runs in just 58 balls to power the Kings XI to an impressive total of 226. Chasing a 200+ score is always a herculean task. The fact that this was a knockout game magnified the pressure on the Chennai Super Kings batsmen.

Chennai lost their first wicket in just the second ball of the match. Their reliable number 3, Suresh Raina, came on to the crease. What followed was magical. Suresh Raina batted as if he were in a trance, defying the laws of physics. He notched up 87 runs in a mere 25 balls. That's nearly 3.5 runs per ball! The Super Kings were at 100/1 in 6 overs and the gigantic total didn't seem as gigantic anymore.

The Kings XI would have to come up with something special to end Raina's masterclass. It came not from a bowler, but from a fielder. Raina and McCullum set off for a quick single in the first ball of the seventh over. Unfortunately, they took on the wrong fielder - George Bailey. With a pinpoint throw from cover, Bailey caught Raina short to end one of the greatest innings in IPL history. This run-out turned out to be the match-winner as the Chennai Super Kings couldn't continue from where Raina left off.

You can view the run-out that took KXIP to their first ever IPL final here.

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#1 Chris Lynn

Chris Lynn's catch to get rid of AB de Villiers was adjudged the catch of the season

No surprises there! Chris Lynn has to be at the number 1 spot, not just for the quality of the catch, but also because of the circumstances under which he took it.

Kolkata Knight Riders were restricted to a modest total of 150 by Royal Challengers Bangalore. In the chase, Bangalore were in control throughout the innings and they seemed to be cruising to the target. They needed just 10 runs off the final 9 balls, when the settled in Yuvraj Singh lost his wicket.

It was still an easy ask though, with dangerous South Africans AB de Villiers and Albie Morkel at the crease. Some tight bowling by Umesh Yadav and Vinay Kumar in the next few balls saw Bangalore needing 6 runs off the final 3 balls to win the match. The Royal Challengers were just one maximum away, and in the fourth ball of the final over, AB hit a shot that seemed to be destined to finish the game.

Enter Chris Lynn. Lynn ran along the boundary to intercept the ball's trajectory but unfortunately slipped onto his hips. It looked like it was Bangalore's game. However, Lynn pushed himself up and miraculously caught the ball in an arched posture. He atrociously managed to avoid the boundary ropes as well. That catch fetched the Knight Riders the victory, as the Royal Challengers ultimately fell short by three runs.

You can see the super-human effort by Lynn here.

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