A cricket match can change in one second. The batter looks in control, the shot seems safe, the crowd reacts, and then suddenly a fielder dives, stretches, or balances near the rope and turns the whole game around. That is why a catch in cricket is not just a basic skill. It is one of the most powerful moments in the sport.
How long do you have to hold a catch in cricket?
There is no fixed time limit like 1 second or 3 seconds.
In cricket, you only have to hold the ball until the catch is complete. Under MCC Law 33.3, the catch starts when the ball first touches the fielder and ends when the fielder has complete control of both the ball and their own movement.
You may also want answers about flat catch in cricket, reverse cup catch in cricket, bump catch in cricket, regulation catch, new catching rule in cricket, and new rule of boundary catch in cricket. This article covers all of that in simple language, with official law points and updated record facts.
What is a catch in cricket?
In official law, a batter is out caught when a legal delivery that is not a no-ball touches the bat, or the hand holding the bat, and is then fairly held by a fielder before the ball touches the ground. The catch is only complete when the fielder has full control of both the ball and their own movement. If the catch is completed, any runs the batters finished on that ball do not count.
That means a catch in cricket has some simple but very strict conditions. The ball must come from the bowler. It cannot be a no-ball. It must not hit the ground first. The fielder must finish the action with control. And the ball or the fielder touching the ball must not be grounded beyond the boundary before the catch is complete.
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Main rules of a fair catch in cricket
A fair catch in cricket is built on a few core ideas:
First, the delivery must be legal for a caught dismissal. If the bowler bowls a no-ball, the batter cannot be out caught from that delivery.
Second, the ball must be taken before it touches the ground. If it bounces first, it is not out. This is the reason a bump catch in cricket is not a real catch. A bump catch only looks like a catch, but the ball has already touched the surface, so the batter survives.
Third, the fielder must complete the action. The law says the catch starts when the ball first touches the fielder and ends only when the fielder has complete control over the ball and their own movement. So if the ball pops out during landing, rolling, or celebration, the catch is not complete.
Fourth, the boundary matters. Under the MCC law, a catch can still be fair if the ball has crossed the boundary in the air, but only if the fielder and ball are not grounded beyond the boundary before completion. In current international cricket, the ICC has tightened this further with a newer boundary-catch rule.
New rule of boundary catch in cricket
This is one of the biggest updates people ask about when they search new catching rule in cricket or new rule of boundary catch in cricket.
In June 2025, the ICC announced updated playing conditions for international cricket. Under the change, if a fielder makes airborne contact with the ball from beyond the boundary, that player must then land and remain inside the field of play.
After a fielder legally makes first contact, they can only make contact with the ball once more while airborne beyond the boundary, and after that they must land and stay wholly inside the boundary. The ICC said this new rule began in Tests from 17 June 2025, in ODIs from 2 July 2025, and in T20Is from 10 July 2025.
The actual playing-condition text is even clearer. It says that once a fielder has made airborne contact after jumping from outside, any later contact with the ground must be within the field of play, and if that fielder returns the ball to play, they must land and remain inside the boundary until the ball becomes dead.
Otherwise, a boundary is scored. In simple words: the modern international rule has closed the old loophole where repeated airborne juggling outside the rope looked spectacular but stretched fairness too far.
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Types of catches in cricket
When people search types of catches in cricket, they usually want both coaching language and match language. Here are the main ones.
Regulation catch in cricket
A regulation catch is not a special law term. It is a cricket commentary term. It means an ordinary, expected catch that a player at that level should normally take. If a slip fielder gets a simple edge at chest height, commentators may call it a regulation catch. It is basically an “easy chance.”
Flat catch in cricket
A flat catch in cricket is a catch taken from a hard, flat-hit ball that travels quickly rather than looping high. These catches often come at point, cover, mid-off, or mid-on. The hands stay in front of the body, elbows slightly soft, and the player tries to absorb the pace instead of snatching at the ball.
Reverse cup catch in cricket
A reverse cup catch in cricket is used for balls dipping below chest level. The fielder turns the hands so the fingers point down and the palms form a cup under the ball. Coaches teach this for low catches because it keeps the ball in front of the eyes and reduces last-second hand panic.
High catch or skier
This is the classic catch under a top edge or mis-hit. The hard part is not just holding the ball. It is judging the flight, wind, sun, and spin while moving into the correct line.
Slip catch
Slip catches are quick-reaction catches taken behind the batter on the off side. These are among the hardest catches in cricket because the time to react is tiny.
Close-in catch
These are taken at silly point, short leg, leg slip, bat-pad, or short cover. The ball comes fast, often from edges, gloves, or defensive pops.
Outfield catch
This is a catch taken deeper in the field, usually while running forward, backward, or across. Timing, balance, and body control are everything here.
Boundary catch
A boundary catch happens near the rope and is one of the most dramatic skills in modern cricket. It requires awareness of the rope, body shape, jump timing, and now, under ICC international rules, correct landing and re-entry rules as well.
Caught and bowled
This happens when the bowler takes the catch off their own bowling. It often looks simple on scorecards, but many caught-and-bowled chances are brutally fast.
Relay catch
This is when one fielder prevents the boundary and taps the ball back to a teammate who completes the dismissal. Relay catches near the rope are legal only if the boundary rules are fully respected.
Bump catch in cricket
A bump catch is not out. If the ball hit the ground before being “caught,” it fails the basic law of caught dismissal.
Controversial Catches in Cricket: Real Match Examples That Explain the Rules
Real Match Examples of Catches Given Not Out
A catch is not out just because the ball stays in the fielder’s hand for one moment. Under MCC Law 33, the fielder must have full control of the ball and full control of their own movement. If the ball touches the ground first, if control is not complete, if the boundary rule is broken, or if the ball is a no-ball, then the batter is not out.
1) Mitchell Starc to Ben Duckett — England vs Australia, Lord’s Test, 2023
This is one of the most famous modern examples. Ben Duckett top-edged the ball, Mitchell Starc ran in and seemed to take a very good low catch. But the third umpire gave Duckett not out. The reason was simple: Starc was still sliding and had not fully completed the catch when the ball touched the turf. ICC later explained that a catch is only complete when the fielder controls both the ball and his movement.
Rule lesson:
A catch is not complete at first touch. The fielder must finish the action cleanly.
2) Josh Inglis to Harry Brook — England vs Australia ODI, Lord’s, 2024
In this match, Australia thought Josh Inglis had taken a catch behind the stumps to dismiss Harry Brook. The on-field decision was checked upstairs, but replays showed that the ball had bounced before reaching the keeper. So the third umpire gave Brook not out.
Rule lesson:
If the ball touches the ground before the catch is completed, it is not out. This is the easiest way to explain a bump catch or a bounce catch.
3) Fakhar Zaman diving catch — Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Tri-Series Final, 2025
This is the verified Fakhar Zaman example I found. In the final, Fakhar ran back from short third man, dived, and seemed to take a brilliant catch off Dasun Shanaka. But the third umpire checked it and ruled the batter not out because the ball was judged to have brushed the ground as Fakhar landed. Reports after the match said Fakhar and Shaheen Afridi were unhappy with the decision.
Rule lesson:
Even a stunning diving effort is not enough if the ball touches the grass before the catch is fully clean.
4) Nehal Wadhera and Naman Dhir relay catch — India A vs Pakistan Shaheens, Asia Cup Rising Stars, 2025
This was a boundary catch controversy. Wadhera made contact near the rope and the relay was completed by Naman Dhir, but the third umpire still gave the batter not out. ESPNcricinfo described it as a catch that was disallowed because of the new boundary-catching law. This is the kind of incident that confused many fans after the ICC updated the rule in 2025.
Rule lesson:
Boundary catches now have stricter rules. A fielder who touches the ball from beyond the boundary must then land and stay inside in the correct way. If that sequence is broken, it is not out.
5) Ryan Rickelton chance — Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, IPL 2025
This is a good example of a catch that looked fine, but the batter still stayed not out. Pat Cummins took the catching chance for Sunrisers Hyderabad, but the review showed that wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen’s gloves were too far forward, which made the delivery a no-ball. Because of that, the wicket could not stand. Reuters reported that the batter was recalled even though the catch itself looked okay.
Rule lesson:
A batter cannot be out caught off a no-ball. So sometimes the catch is clean, but the wicket is still cancelled because the delivery was illegal.
Simple Conclusion
These real matches show that a catch in cricket is more than just “ball in hand.” The third umpire checks four main things: Did the ball touch the ground? Did the fielder fully control the ball? Did the fielder complete the movement? Did the catch follow the boundary and no-ball rules? If the answer is no to any of these, the batter is not out.
How to take catch in cricket
If you searched how to take catch in cricket or how to catch in cricket, the answer is technique plus repetition.
First, watch the ball early. Good catchers do not stare at the batter after contact. Their eyes lock onto the ball immediately.
Second, move your feet before your hands. Most dropped catches are really bad footwork problems, not bad hand problems.
Third, get your body behind the line of the ball whenever possible. A catch in front of the eyes is safer than a catch beside the shoulder.
Fourth, choose the right hand shape. For balls above the chest, use a normal cup with fingers up. For low chances, use the reverse cup with fingers down. For hard-hit flat chances, keep the hands relaxed and “give” with the ball instead of letting it bounce out.
Fifth, keep soft hands. Hard hands make the ball rebound. Soft hands absorb pace.
Sixth, stay low and balanced. Even tall fielders become better catchers when their knees are slightly bent and head is steady.
Seventh, practice the landing. Many players reach the ball but fail after contact. A catch is not finished at first touch. It is finished after control.
Eighth, call loudly. In real matches, drops happen because two fielders hesitate. The player who calls early usually owns the catch.
How to improve flat catches and reverse cup catches
For flat catches, stand 8 to 15 meters away from a partner and practice fast chest-high throws. Keep your thumbs almost pointing toward each other, hands in front, and let the ball come in. Do not slap at it.
For reverse cup catches, practice under-arm low throws first. Let the fingers point down, elbows bend, and bring the hands up smoothly after contact. This is the safest method for dipping catches around knee-to-waist height.
For both, the golden rule is simple: watch, move, shape, soften, finish.
What happens if a player fails to catch in cricket?
If a fielder gets hands to the ball but does not complete the catch, the batter is not out. Because the law requires complete control, a juggle that falls, a drop while landing, or a spill during movement is just a missed chance. Unless the ball has become dead or reached the boundary, it remains in play and the batters can run.
That is why dropped catches hurt so much. They do not just waste a wicket. They can also give away runs and momentum.
What is a regulation catch in cricket?
A lot of people ask this exact question: what is a regulation catch in cricket?
The simplest answer is this: a regulation catch is an easy or standard catch that a decent fielder is expected to take. It is not a separate law in the rulebook. It is cricket language used by players, coaches, and commentators.
What is a bump catch in cricket?
A bump catch in cricket is a false catch. It happens when the ball appears to be taken cleanly but had already touched the ground first. Because Law 33 requires the catch to be completed before the ball touches the ground, a bump catch is not out.
What happens if you catch a cricket ball in the crowd?
If a spectator catches the ball in the crowd after it has already crossed for four or six, the crowd catch has no effect on the dismissal. It is simply a boundary, and the ball is dead once the boundary is scored. The spectator does not “get the batter out.” If an unauthorized person comes onto or over the field and handles a ball while it is still in play, the umpire decides whether boundary allowance applies, whether the ball stays in play, or whether dead ball should be called.
So the short answer is: crowd catches are fun, but they are not official catches.
Most catches in cricket: important records
When people search most catch in cricket, most catches in cricket history, most catches in ODI cricket, or highest catch in cricket, they often mix up different records. Here is the clean way to understand them.
As of March 18, 2026, the widely used record for most catches by a non-wicketkeeper in men’s international cricket belongs to Mahela Jayawardene, who took 440 catches across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. The ICC notes that this is 76 more than Ricky Ponting, the next best on that all-time list.
In ODI cricket, Mahela Jayawardene also holds the record for the most catches by a fielder, with 218. The ICC describes him as unsurpassed in the field in ODIs, and Howstat lists the same ODI catches total on his profile.
In Test cricket, the current leader among non-wicketkeepers is Joe Root with 216 catches, according to Howstat’s Test fielding record summaries.
If by highest catch in cricket history you mean the most catches in a single innings or match by a fielder, the phrase is ambiguous. In Tests, the fielding record pages show 5 catches in an innings and 7 catches in a match by a non-keeper as benchmark records. In ODIs, the recognized top figure for a fielder in an innings is 4 catches.
If by fastest catch in cricket you mean an official speed-based record, there is no standard ICC or MCC record category called “fastest catch.” The laws define what makes a catch fair, and record pages track totals such as catches in a career, innings, match, or series, but not reaction time in seconds.
Best catch in cricket history
Now the big debate: world best catch in cricket history, and which is the best catch in cricket history.
There is no single official ICC or MCC record called “best catch in cricket history.” This is always a matter of judgment. But if you need one answer that serious cricket fans will respect, Ben Stokes’ one-handed catch against South Africa in the 2019 World Cup opener is the safest mainstream pick. The ICC treated it as one of the defining moments of that World Cup, and the ECB described it as one of the greatest catches of all time.
That said, Suryakumar Yadav’s boundary catch to dismiss David Miller in the 2024 T20 World Cup final belongs in the same elite category. Reuters wrote that it effectively settled the final, and Wisden called it “one of the greatest catches in cricket history.”
Another unforgettable name is Dwayne Leverock. Wisden called his 2007 World Cup effort against India one of the greatest World Cup catches of all time, and it remains one of cricket’s most beloved fielding moments.
Editorial top 10 best catches in cricket history
Because there is no official ranking, this is an editorial top 10 rather than a law-book record:
- Ben Stokes vs South Africa, 2019 World Cup — the modern standard for a one-handed miracle catch.
- Suryakumar Yadav vs South Africa, 2024 T20 World Cup final — huge pressure, boundary awareness, title-defining moment.
- Dwayne Leverock vs India, 2007 World Cup — iconic, unexpected, unforgettable.
- Paul Collingwood’s flying outfield catch — ECB itself presents it as one of the best catches you will ever see.
- Will Young vs South Africa, 2022 — Wisden says it was hailed as one of the best catches in Test history.
- Sheldon Cottrell vs Australia, 2019 World Cup — ICC said it was possibly even better than Stokes’ opener grab.
- Martin Guptill vs Australia, 2019 World Cup — ICC highlighted it as another tournament screamer.
- Steve Smith vs New Zealand, 2019 World Cup — also listed by ICC among standout catches of the event.
- Harry Brook slip catch, 2025 — The Hundred called it one of the best slip catches you will ever see.
- Glenn Phillips as the modern flying-catch example — Wisden’s feature on great catches uses him alongside Ben Stokes as a face of elite modern fielding.
Fails to catch in cricket: what does it mean?
If someone says a player fails to catch in cricket, they mean the fielder dropped a chance or never completed control. In score terms, the batter stays in, the bowler loses a wicket chance, and the fielding side may also concede extra runs. In real matches, dropped catches often matter more than singles or even boundaries, because they give a batter another life.
How to catch in Cricket 22 on Xbox
This query is different because it refers to the video game, not the sport itself. The official Big Ant material confirms that Cricket 22 has “all-new bowling and fielding controls” plus overhauled tutorials for new players. I could verify that official point, but I could not verify one single universal Xbox catching button from a primary source because control presets can vary. So the safest answer is: open the in-game Controls or Tutorials menu and check your current fielding setup there before practicing catching.
Final word
A catch in cricket looks simple only after it is taken. In truth, it is a mix of law, balance, courage, timing, and clean technique. The rulebook makes the basics strict: legal ball, no ground, full control, fair boundary position. Modern cricket has made the skill even harder, especially with the updated international boundary catch rule from 2025.
And when people ask for the best catch in cricket history, the honest answer is that there is no official single winner. But the names that now live at the top of the conversation are clear: Ben Stokes, Suryakumar Yadav, and Dwayne Leverock. For records, Mahela Jayawardene remains the king of catches as a fielder in international cricket, and his ODI record is still the benchmark.
FAQs
1. What is a catch in cricket?
A catch in cricket happens when a fielder fairly holds the ball after it touches the batter’s bat or glove holding the bat, before the ball touches the ground.
2. What are the main rules of a catch in cricket?
The ball must come from a legal delivery, must not be a no-ball, must not touch the ground before completion, and the fielder must have full control of the ball and movement.
3. What is a regulation catch in cricket?
A regulation catch is a simple catch that a fielder is normally expected to take. It is a common cricket term, not a special law term.
4. What is a flat catch in cricket?
A flat catch is taken from a hard-hit ball that travels fast and flat instead of going high in the air.
5. What is a reverse cup catch in cricket?
A reverse cup catch is used for low catches, where the fingers point downward and the hands form a cup under the ball.
6. What is a bump catch in cricket?
A bump catch is not out because the ball has already touched the ground before the fielder catches it.
7. What is the new rule of boundary catch in cricket?
Under the new ICC boundary catch rule, a fielder cannot keep making multiple airborne contacts from beyond the boundary in the old style. After legal contact, the landing and completion must follow stricter in-field conditions.
8. Who has the most catches in cricket history?
Among non-wicketkeepers in men’s international cricket, Mahela Jayawardene is widely recognized for the most catches.
9. Who has the most catches in ODI cricket?
Mahela Jayawardene holds the record for the most catches by a fielder in ODI cricket.
10. Which is the best catch in cricket history?
There is no single official best catch in cricket history, but Ben Stokes, Suryakumar Yadav, and Dwayne Leverock are often included in the debate.
11. How can I improve my catching in cricket?
You can improve by watching the ball early, moving your feet quickly, getting your body behind the ball, and using soft hands.
12. What happens if a spectator catches the ball in the crowd?
If the ball has already crossed the boundary, it remains a boundary. A crowd catch does not dismiss the batter.
Daniel Foster is a senior sports writer specializing in cricket laws and international playing conditions. With extensive experience covering ICC rules, domestic leagues, and tournament regulations, he delivers detailed yet easy-to-read explanations. His work is trusted by readers looking for accurate and up-to-date sports rules.