![Best catches of IPL 2026 [Source: PBKS/X, JioHotstar]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1780474524964_ShreyasIyerManishPandeyViratKohliIPL2026.jpg?type=hq)
Best catches of IPL 2026 [Source: PBKS/X, JioHotstar]
The IPL 2026 season ended on May 31, with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru achieving a special two-peat of the title after initially waiting for 18 long years for the maiden title.
This fairytale ending of another season was a conclusion of another blockbuster season of the biggest T20 festival in the world, where players put on some of the most memorable performances of their T20 careers. This also includes some of the finest catches you would ever see.
While the overall catching standard was below-par this season, with a plethora of chances going down, fans still saw some of the most sensational grabs you would see on the cricket field. In this article, we rate the top-5 best catches of IPL 2026.
5 Best Catches of IPL 2026
5. Rovman Powell vs SRH
During the Sunrisers Hyderabad clash against the Kolkata Knight Riders in Hyderabad, the hosts batted first and got off to a great start, scoring 105/2 in 9 overs.
To avoid the in-form Heinrich Klaasen from converting it into a big score, Cameron Green bowled a bouncer on Klaasen's right shoulder. The batter pulled in towards Rovman Powell at deep midwicket at the 10.4-over mark.
Powell, who was initially far away, came running in and overran a bit as he needed to dive backwards for a single-handed worldie. He crashed into the ground, and his sunglasses were crushed, but Powell held on to the ball, and SRH was reduced to 117/3 and eventually bowled out for 165 runs.
Watch the video below:
4. Sarfaraz Khan vs DC
Having lost all of their first three matches of IPL 2026, the Chennai Super Kings posted 212/2 in 20 overs, courtesy of a Sanju Samson century. DC also got a decent start through Pathum Nissanka and KL Rahul, as they looked to chase down the target.
However, after two back-to-back wickets at 61, Axar Patel promoted himself to 4 to provide stability to the chase. As soon as the powerplay ended and Gurjapneet Singh was brought into the attack, he bowled a short delivery outside off, which was cut by Axar Patel, and the ball looked like it would race away to the fence.
Often questioned about his fitness, Sarfaraz Khan went flying at backward point and caught Patel in mid-air. The two-handed catch was then celebrated with an Imran Tahir-esque lap in the stadium by Sarfaraz as DC went from 61/0 to 66/3.
Watch the video below:
3. Phil Salt vs SRH
In the curtain raiser of the season at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, RCB hosted SRH and asked them to bat first. Following early wickets of both Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, the stand-in captain Ishan Kishan looked in midas touch like the recent T20Is for India.
While he was cruising towards a century and the team looking to reach a formidable total, Abhinandan Singh bowled a rather avoidable full toss on the off stump. Kishan timed it towards the deep backward point boundary, and it looked to be reaching the fence.
Also Read: Best Overseas Players of IPL 2026 Ft. Kagiso Rabada
Phil Salt came in running from the deep extra cover and caught a spectacular single-handed diving catch as the crowd went berserk in Bengaluru. Kishan was dismissed for 80 off 38, and RCB eventually won the match.
Watch the video below:
2. Manish Pandey vs RCB
During match 57 of the season, as KKR were fighting for their survival in IPL 2026, Manish Pandey had found his way back into the playing XI after starting the season on the bench.
Trying to defend 193 runs on the night in Raipur, Virat Kohli was holding onto one end perfectly and also had a good partnership with Devdutt Padikkal.
At the 17.5-over mark, when the equation came to 13 needed off 14, Tim David slashed Kartik Tyagi with brute force between the short third and backward point. Just when it felt like the ball was going away to the boundary like a bullet, Manish Pandey stunned everyone with a single-handed full-stretch diving catch on a dipping ball to send David back to the hut.
Everyone in the stadium, including David, Kohli and the RCB dugout, looked shell-shocked, and Kohli also hugged Pandey after the catch. RCB went on to win the match, and this was also awarded as the best catch of the season.
Watch the video below:
1. Shreyas Iyer & Xavier Bartlett vs MI
When everything was going the Punjab Kings' way in the first half of the season, they travelled to the Wankhede Stadium to face the struggling Mumbai Indians. However, courtesy of Quinton de Kock's blinder on MI's return and Naman Dhir's fifty, MI looked set for a big total.
In the death overs, when captain Hardik Pandya looked to up the ante and hit a wide-line ball from Marco Jansen at 17.3 straight back over his head. The ball was travelling over the boundary, but Shreyas Iyer, running in from long-on, had other plans.
Despite his recent spleen injury, he did not second-guess before going airborne and plucked the ball out of thin air, whilst falling awkwardly. He showed his presence of mind in the moment, and right before landing outside the boundary, he threw the ball to Xavier Bartlett, who easily completed a regulation relay catch.
This happened right in front of the MI dugout, and Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav's reactions were priceless as their state teammate embraced the crowd's reaction after the blinder. This was also rated as the catch of the season by 41 per cent (the most) voters on IPL's official website.
Watch the video below:
Also Read: IPL 2026 Replacement Players Who Can Be Retained Before Next Season
