In a season of the IPL marked by a deluge of sixes, it's perhaps unsurprising that dropped catches have played a role in many of them. However, not all of these missed opportunities were 50-50 chances on the boundary; some were rather embarrassing, with catches being tipped over the rope, while others were spilled despite the fielder having ample time to position themselves under the ball. And it's not just Indian players; overseas cricketers have also had to take their fair share of the blame in what has been a forgettable season for captains and coaches alike.

On Tuesday, during an intense chase between Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals, Tristan Stubbs of Delhi Capitals gave Jos Buttler of Rajasthan Royals a chance for redemption in the early overs. Buttler, attempting to slog Mukesh Kumar, ended up producing a leading edge towards point. Despite the ball hanging in the air for a considerable time, Stubbs failed to hold onto the catch, attempting a reverse cup technique, and then again on his second attempt.

Until Tuesday, out of 657 catch opportunities, 146 were dropped, resulting in a success percentage of 77.7% for fielding sides — the lowest in the last five IPL seasons and the second lowest ever. Only in 2010 did fielders perform worse, with a catching percentage of 76.8 that season. The fact that the aggregate number of dropped catches is already on par with all the past four seasons, except one (2022), with more than two weeks left in this edition, points to a shambolic low. Fortunately for some teams, the missed chances haven't significantly affected their IPL standings.

Mohammed Kaif, renowned for his agility as one of the game's finest fielders, believes that there is a lack of intent.

“It is up to the coaches to make fielding enjoyable,” he said on Star Sports in April. “When we see them spending hours on batting and bowling, we generally give them the option of returning to the room to rest. They happily agree to avoid fielding.”