Ranking the top 10 ODI fielders of the 21st century ft. Ravindra Jadeja, Glenn Phillips
The 2025 Champions Trophy has reached its climax, with India set to face off against New Zealand in the grand finale in Dubai on Sunday, March 9. While the frenzy during the various match previews and predictions has been sky-high like any other ICC tournament final, the upcoming clash has a unique narrative on offer.
The batting and bowling matchups and battles aside, a lot has been spoken about how the best fielding team in the contest could come out on top on a relatively low-scoring Dubai surface. Fielding has become a non-negotiable since the advent of T20s, and its value is significantly higher in a match between two evenly matched sides.
Glenn Phillips and Ravindra Jadeja are the two from either side hogging the limelight when it comes to fielding and their impact on opposition batters has been a sight to behold during the 2025 Champions Trophy. While the former has pulled off out-of-the-world catches, the latter continues to intimidate batters with his incredible throwing arm.
With white-ball cricket touching new heights in the 21st century, the number of world-class fielders has increased exponentially over the years.
It begs the question of where the likes of Phillips and Jadeja fit in the top 10 ODI fielders ranking since 2001. Will the duo be in the top or bottom half of the ranking? Let us find out by starting with the honorable mentions.
Honorable Mentions:
Tilakaratne Dilshan, David Warner, Herschelle Gibbs, Suresh Raina, and Ben Stokes.
#10 Andrew Symonds
Former Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds was among the best ODI fielders in world cricket during the 2000s. While his catching was as safe as houses, Symonds made his name as an intimidating fielder with his bullet-throwing arm.
Before Jadeja, Symonds was renowned for his direct hits from any part of the ground. The late Aussie finished his ODI career with 82 catches, including a match-high of four grabs.
Symonds' 0.418 catches per innings indicates that the former all-rounder took a catch almost every second innings, apart from his numerous magical run-outs through direct hits.
#9 Virat Kohli
Indian superstar Virat Kohli is one of the cricketers with a remarkable presence, irrespective of his fielding position on the ground. The 36-year-old has pulled off several spectacular catches in ODIs over the years, ranging from slip to all the in and out-field positions from both sides of the wicket.
Kohli is also famous for his brilliant throws from the deep, with memorable run-outs through direct hits. The champion cricketer is second all-time in ODIs for catches with 161 in 301 outings.
Kohli's average of 0.54 catches per innings is the highest among fielders with at least 150 ODI catches.
#8 Glenn Maxwell
The 'Big Show' Glenn Maxwell has thrilled fans across the globe with his swift fielding efforts and incredible agility all around the ground. Even at 36, the Aussie all-rounder continues to be among the fastest movers in world cricket, pulling off brilliant catches at will.
Maxwell boasts an extraordinary average of 0.61 catches per innings in ODIs, highlighting his presence at the most important fielding positions for Australia. Amid the catching, Maxwell's throwing prowess should not be forgotten, with batters often caught off guard and hesitant to take on his arms.
#7 Martin Guptill
The mention of former New Zealand batter Martin Guptill continues to give Indian and South African fans nightmares. Why? As much of a match-winner with the willow as Guptill was, his accurate throws under pressure potentially ended South Africa's and India's ODI World Cup campaigns in 2011 and 2019, respectively.
AB de Villiers made the cardinal sin of taking on Guptill's arm in the 2011 ODI World Cup quarterfinal and paid a heavy price. His dismissal after being well-set led to an unfathomable collapse as the Proteas suffered a premature elimination from the tournament.
As for MS Dhoni, just when it appeared as if the former wicketkeeper-batter was about to pull off another houdini act in the 2019 World Cup semifinal, Guptill intervened. The former Kiwis pulled off a direct hit from the deep to catch Dhoni short of the crease, thereby breaking Indian hearts.
These clutch moments apart, Guptill took several other blinders and was among the safest fielders in world cricket for over a decade.
#6 Glenn Phillips
The name that has created terror in opposition batters' heads in the ongoing Champions Trophy - Glenn Phillips comes in at No.6. The 28-year-old continued the trend of New Zealand fielders producing magic to dismiss Indian legends, with his incredible diving catch at backward point to send Virat Kohli packing a few days back.
His similarly spectacular catch at the same position to dismiss Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan is still doing the rounds on social media. If backward point was 'Jonty's corner' in the 1990s, Glenn Phillips is on his way to making the position his own for the current generation.
#5 Paul Collingwood
If backward point was defined by Rhodes in the 1990s and Phillips now, former England all-rounder Paul Collingwood owned the position in the 2000s. Collingwood is England's all-time leader in ODI catches with 108 at an average of almost 0.55 catches per innings.
Beyond the numbers, his ability to pluck off stunning one-handed catches at backward point and the versatility to field brilliantly anywhere in the ground created a massive impact. That he has been among the most sought-after fielding coaches by England and elsewhere is a testament to Collingwood's fielding during his playing days.
#4 Ravindra Jadeja
Arguably India's best-ever fielder, Ravindra Jadeja comes in at No.4 in the top ten ODI fielders ranking for the 21st century. While the 36-year-old is a catching juggernaut anywhere in the field, his major fielding impact comes from run-saving and direct hits.
With a throwing arm and accuracy unlike any seen in world cricket, Jadeja restricts easy twos for the opposition to singles and almost always knocks the stumps down with his deadly throws. The veteran cricketer is also one of the fastest movers, and his will and skill to outrun the ball and save boundaries is an art in itself.
#3 Faf du Plessis
South African players have often made themselves fan favorites from the 1990s, thanks to their brilliance in the field. Former Proteas captain Faf du Plessis was no different.
The 40-year-old was always found fielding in the most important positions based on the stage of an ODI game. After flying around the slip cordon in the first few overs, Faf would be taking diving catches for fun in the outfield during the end overs of the innings.
Faf averaged over 0.57 catches per innings in ODIs - evidence that the Protea great would rarely go two full matches without making a fielding impact.
#2 AB de Villiers
Former South African batter AB de Villiers earned as many fans worldwide for his fielding as he did for his breathtaking batting. The 41-year-old, similar to the abovementioned Du Plessis, was a thorn to the opposition batters, irrespective of his fielding position.
De Villiers was arguably the fastest mover in world cricket, especially in the outfield, and had potentially the fastest release on his throw. His versatility was also off the charts, with a highlight reel present for an AB de Villiers fielding magic at virtually every inch of the ground.
#1 Ricky Ponting
It is hard to go past former Australian captain Ricky Ponting when it comes to the best fielder post-2000. Ponting did it all in the field during his illustrious ODI career, from standing a batter's nose to as close to the boundary rope as possible.
One of the rare cricketers to master fielding at every position from in front of the wicket to behind, Ponting bamboozled batters with his presence on the field. The Aussie legend is also third all-time in ODI catches with 160.
Catches aside, Ponting was also a bull's-eye when it came to throwing down the stumps from nearly any position on the ground.