"No one is better than him in throwing" - When Gautam Gambhir picked an Indian player as the best fielder in the world
Over the years, many fielders have displayed their exceptional skills. When we talk about fielding, the names of Jonty Rhodes and Ricky Ponting almost instantly come to mind. In the Indian team, Ajay Jadeja and Robin Singh were renowned for their fielding in the 90s, while a few years later Suresh Raina also impressed.
During an interaction in 2020, though, former India batter and current head coach Gautam Gambhir picked all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja as the best fielder in the world. Gambhir's choice wasn't surprising, as Jadeja is rated highly in cricketing circles for his exceptional ability in the field.
On a show Cricket Connected, Gambhir explained the reasons behind picking Jadeja above others as the best fielder in the world:
"I think, in world cricket, there is no better fielder than Jadeja, an overall fielder. Maybe he doesn't field at slip and gully, but no one is better than him in throwing. No one covers the outfield like him. Put him at point or cover, you can get him to field anywhere. No one has a safer pair of hands than him. Ravindra Jadeja, probably is the best fielder in world cricket."
Jadeja is a part of the Indian Test team, which is in Australia for the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He wasn't picked in the playing XI for the first two Tests.
"Jaddu has great speed" - Jonty Rhodes on Jadeja's brilliance as a fielder
Not only Gambhir, but South African legend Rhodes himself has hailed Jadeja's brilliant ability as a fielder. During an Instagram Live session with Raina some years back, Rhodes also spoke about good fielders like AB de Villiers, Martin Guptill and Michael Bevan:
"Jaddu has taken some fantastic catches. The key is he is very committed. He is very good at anticipating the ball also. I love to watch AB (de Villiers) batting or fielding. (Martin) Guptill is there. Jaddu. Also Michael Bevan, he had excellent speed. Also, Jaddu has great speed on the field."
Apart from playing a hand in effecting run-outs, Jadeja has taken 148 catches in international cricket and 103 in the Indian Premier League.