Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL
The first week of IPL 2021 has been nothing short of dramatic to say the least. While there have been some mouth-watering contests, there have been some sensational efforts by the players that have changed the whole course of various contests. The athleticism and the fielding skills that have been on display so far in the tournament has been mind-boggling. Let us have a look at the top 5 catches in the first week of IPL 2021 that left everyone in awe.
1. Ravindra Jadeja vs Punjab Kings
In match no. 8, the CSK all-rounder pulled off a brilliant diving catch to dismiss the dangerous Chris Gayle. After the explosive Jamaican was deceived by a slow delivery from Deepak Chahar, the ball looped up in the air and looked like going away from Jadeja, who was standing at point. The 32-year-old flew in the air towards his right to grab an absolute stunner.
2. Washington Sundar vs Mumbai Indians
In match no. 1, MI debutant Chris Lynn played a fantastic knock and was looking to reach his fifty with a huge six. However, the Aussie scooped a ball straight up in the air off the bowling of Washington Sundar. As the ball looked like it would land between the fielder, the RCB all-rounder himself chase the ball and completed a superb running catch.
3. Manish Pandey vs Kolkata Knight Riders
In match no. 3, Kolkata Knight Riders were cruising towards a big total against Sunrisers Hyderabad. As Andre Russell tried to smash Rashid Khan for a six over long on, he completely mistimed the shot. Manish Pandey, who was standing at the boundary, ran towards his left and covered a lot of distance to reach the ball and produced a valiant low-diving effort to grab a perfect catch.
4. Sanju Samson vs Delhi Capitals
In match no. 7, Delhi Capitals' opener Shikhar Dhawan tried to play a cheeky scoop shot off the bowling of Jaydev Unadkat. As the ball looked like sailing over the wicketkeeper, Sanju Samson flew like a bird and stuck out his right hand to complete one of the catches of the season so far. The fans also gave a 'Superman Samson' tagline to the RR captain after this effort.
5. Chetan Sakariya vs Punjab Kings
In match no. 4, it was a run-fest at Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. As the dangerous Nicholas Pooran came out to bat, he tried to play an attacking shot right off Chris Morris on the first ball he faced. The ball was flying towards the fine-leg boundary until debutant Chetan Sakariya intervened out of nowhere to take an outstanding catch.