World Cup 2019: 4 All-time World Cup records broken in the tournament

#4 Most catches by a fielder in a single edition - 13

Joe Root grasped everything that came his way

It is a well-known fact that Ricky Ponting, a multiple World Cup Winner, is one of the greatest fielders in the history of cricket. For 16 long years, he held the record of most number of catches by a non-wicket-keeper in a single World Cup. In the 2003 edition, Ponting took 11 catches in as many matches.

Though Rilee Rossouw of South Africa came close in the 2015 edition by claiming nine catches in six matches, Ponting’s record remained unbroken until the league stages of this year’s World Cup.

Since the format of the World Cup 2019 was changed, two teams were destined to play a maximum of 11 matches, unlike the previous two editions. Since none of the England games in the league stage was washed out, England was fortunate enough to play all their 11 games.

Hence, it laid a perfect opportunity for someone from the English team to break Ponting’s longtime fielding record. Joe Root, England's Test skipper, utilized the chances by claiming 13 catches in 11 matches. As a result, Joe Root now holds the record for the most number of catches in a single edition.