Top 5 players with the most catches in ODIs ft. Virat Kohli

A fielder's ability to pounce upon difficult catches is one of the most underrated aspects of the sport of cricket. A player with safe hands often provides an all-round balance to the side and helps them have an edge in difficult circumstances.

On Tuesday (March 4), Indian veteran batter Virat Kohli achieved a remarkable feat in the ODI format. He has now climbed to second place in the list of catches by a player in the 50-over format.

Historically, there have been many players who have played a key role in their team's victories with their catching skills. Today, let's take a look at the list of players with the most catches in ODIs.

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#5 Ross Taylor - 142

New Zealand's Ross Taylor ranks fifth on this elusive list with 142 catches in the ODI format. Playing for the Kiwi side from 2006 to 2022, Taylor garnered 8,607 runs at an exceptional average of 47.55 with 21 centuries.

Taylor's best catching tally of four came against India in Dambulla in 2010. However, before that, the Kiwi skipper slammed 95 to lead the side to a strong total of 288. Thereafter, he plucked the catches of Yuvraj Singh and Rohit Sharma, which paved the way for New Zealand to win by a mammoth 200 runs.

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#4 Mohammad Azharuddin - 156

Former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin got hold of a total of 156 catches in 334 ODIs during his career spanning from 1985 to 2000. With the willow, Azharuddin scored 9,378 runs, with seven tons.

Azhar produced his best count of four catches in 1997 against Pakistan in Toronto. He was India's best batter with a 52-run knock, as the side went on to compile a 208-run total.

His fielding efforts saw him send captain Ramiz Raja and Shahid Afridi packing, which eventually helped the Men in Blue to win the game by 20 runs.

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#3 Ricky Ponting - 160

One of the finest captains of Australia, Ricky Ponting dropped down to the third spot in this list with 160 catches. During his illustrious ODI career from 1995 to 2012, Ponting amassed 13,704 runs with 30 centuries.

Ponting fielded at positions like cover point and slip in the 50-over format. The acrobatic athlete picked a maximum of three catches on three occasions during his career. However, the most notable one came in the 1999 World Cup game against Bangladesh, which saw the Men in Yellow win by seven wickets.

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#2 Virat Kohli - 161

The legendary batter Virat Kohli made history yet again in the ODI format by climbing to the second position in this list with 161 catches. He added two to his tally on Tuesday by taking catches of Josh Inglis and Nathan Ellis in the 2025 Champions Trophy semifinal.

Making his debut in 2008, Kohli has garnered 14,096 runs in 300 games at an exceptional average of 58 with 51 centuries.

Like Ricky Ponting, Virat Kohli has also bagged three catches on three occasions in the 50-over format. In his only second ODI game against Sri Lanka in Dambulla in 2008, Kohli pounced on three opportunities. His efforts bore fruit, as the home side were bundled out for 142.

Thereafter, he opened for the Men in Blue and contributed 37, which eventually helped the side to win by three wickets.

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#1 Mahela Jayawardene - 218

Mahela Jayawardene is among the finest players to come out of Sri Lanka due to his ability to play big knocks. He played for Sri Lanka from 1998 to 2015 and scored 12,650 runs with 19 centuries in 448 ODIs.

Jayawardene is the most successful fielder in the 50-over format with 218 catches to his name. His best effort of four catches was recorded for Asia XI in their clash against Africa XI in Durban in 2005.

In the first half, the right-hander scored 52 to lead Asia XI to a 261-run total. He then picked the catches of Boeta Dippenaar and Mark Boucher, as Asia XI managed to win the game by 17 runs.