For most, the first thing that comes to mind about good fielding is acrobatics - visuals of those stunning takes which would tempt one to watch several replays. Rinku Singh won't necessarily feature in the shortlist for the most eye-catching grabs. In terms of sheer efficiency and omnipresence, however, he has been a cut above the rest.
In just 61 IPL appearances, Rinku now has the most outfield catches for the Kolkata Knight Riders (41). The next two in this list have played significantly more games - Andre Russell (40 catches in 133) and Sunil Narine (36 in 191). To further illustrate the regularity with which the ball finds him, of the 125 players who have taken at least 20 outfield catches in IPL history, Rinku's catches per innings ratio of 0.683 is only bettered by AB de Villiers (0.692).
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For Rinku, this isn't restricted to IPL alone. Of the 119 players to have pouched at least 30 catches in Men's T20Is, his catches per innings ratio of 0.84 (37 in 44) is again only marginally exceeded by de Villiers (0.846: 44 in 52). Across all Men's T20s, with a 100-catch cut-off, Rinku is third in this parameter at 0.627 (116 catches), only behind Mohammad Waseem (0.705: 103 catches) and de Villiers (0.696: 170 catches), with David Miller (0.6: 331 catches) taking the fourth spot.
No one has taken more catches than Rinku in the IPL since 2022 with his 36 catches coming at the rate of 0.7 per innings - the best among the 52 players with a minimum of 15 grabs in the timeframe. Beyond this guideline, his efficiency, in comparison to the rest, makes for even more impressive reading.
Since the start of IPL 2022, Rinku has taken 36 catches (including one as a substitute) and has shelled just one. Among all the players to have grabbed at least 20 catches in this timeframe, his efficiency of 97.3% ranks the best. That one exception came in a low-scoring game against the Punjab Kings @L0$ last year, and the Cricbuzz comms for the ball read:
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Furthermore, if the overall fielding numbers are measured in terms of dismissals affected out of chances created including run-outs (and stumpings in the case of wicketkeepers), the 28-year-old again has enviable numbers.
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Rinku and Devon Conway are the only ones in this list without a single game as a designated wicketkeeper. 34 of those 36 catches in this period have come outside of the first six overs (18 of them at the death), most protecting the boundary as was the case on Friday when he helped dismiss Ishan Kishan and Aniket Verma.
Rinku's athleticism hasn't been put to use while fielding alone. In a T20I against Afghanistan @L1$, Rohit Sharma had retired himself out to get him in on the final ball of the Super Over since he's quick between the wickets. As for the IPL, KKR have been the best in terms of catching efficiency since 2022 (82.1%), followed by Gujarat Titans (80.3%), and it wouldn't be a stretch to say it has largely been down to one individual.
