3 most improved fielders from IPL 2022 to IPL 2023
IPL 2023 is entering its final phase. The playoffs got underway last Tuesday, and only two matches remain in the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League. This year's IPL season has been more exciting than the previous edition of the league.
The race to the IPL 2023 playoffs was one of the most intense in the competition's history. A couple of reasons contributed to the increase in thrill levels this season. The first was the return of the home and away format in the league stage, and the second was the improvement in fielding shown by many teams.
Fielding is as important as batting and bowling in T20 cricket. Sometimes, the difference between the champion team and the others is their fielding.
Fans felt that the fielding display of some of the top fielders declined last season, but here are the three names who learned their lessons and improved their fielding in the 2023 season.
#1 KL Rahul impressed the fans with his fielding in IPL 2023
KL Rahul has been one of the top fielders in Indian cricket, but the Lucknow Super Giants captain was not at his best on the field during the previous season.
In his first season for the Lucknow-based franchise, Rahul dropped a couple of simple catches and even committed a few other errors on the field.
In the Eliminator match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore last year, Rahul could not take the catch to dismiss Dinesh Karthik in the 15th over of RCB's innings.
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LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir was delighted at first, thinking that Rahul had taken the catch, but his reaction changed immediately when he saw the catch dropped.
In IPL 2023, Rahul improved his fielding and executed some brilliant stops. Fans will always remember the catch he took to dismiss Jitesh Sharma in the match against the Punjab Kings.
#2 Ravindra Jadeja, Chennai Super Kings
Ravindra Jadeja is probably the best fielder in India right now, but the Chennai Super Kings star could not play his natural game when he was named the captain of CSK last season.
The burden of captaincy impacted his fielding as well, as he surprisingly put down multiple catches during the previous season.
Jadeja is playing under MS Dhoni's captaincy this season, and there has been a visible improvement in his fielding. The all-rounder has impressed the fans with his sharp catches, quick reflexes, and perfect throws this season.
#3 Deepak Hooda, Lucknow Super Giants
Another LSG player who improved his fielding in IPL 2023 was Deepak Hooda. The all-rounder did not have the best season with the bat, but his fielding was quite impressive.
Last season, Hooda dropped a couple of sitters, but this season, he won the Catch of the Match award on multiple occasions for his brilliant fielding.
Hooda will aim to improve his batting performances by the time IPL 2024 arrives. It will be interesting to see if the Lucknow Super Giants retain him in their squad for the next season.