Catching efficiency dropping in IPL

Batting standards have been continuously improving in the IPL with more sixes and higher run rates being achieved every year, but the same can't be said about the fielding standards.

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After 39 games this season, 103 out of 431 chances have been spilled, resulting in a catching efficiency of just 76.1%, the worst the league has seen at a similar stage in the last five years.

In fact, catching efficiency has dropped season-on-season over the last five years. In 2021, 85.5% of total catching chances were taken. That number has now gone down considerably. This season has already seen two matches where nine catches were dropped: in the Rajasthan Royals (RR) vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) game in Jaipur, and the Punjab Kings (PBKS) vs Chennai Super Kings (CSK) match in Mullanpur. According to ESPNcricinfo's logs, those are the most catches dropped in a match in IPL history. The previous worst was eight, in the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) game at Eden Gardens in 2023.