Follow UsFour, six, Shivam Dube already showed signs of taking on leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga in CSK’s clash against RR, on March 30 (Sunday). But that’s where RR’s skipper Riyan Parag decided to change the fortune of the game single-handedly, with a contender for IPL 2025’s best catch.
Hasaranga yet again missed his line, bowling it wide and in Dube’s slot, but the left-hander couldn’t place the ball to either side of Parag. Even then, because of the brute force, Parag, fielding in the short cover region, knew that he had to do something extraordinary and that he did.
The Royals all-rounder lept in full flow and grasped the ball inches away from the grass with a stunner that shocked Dube and the entire CSK dugout. Even the two on-field umpires couldn’t believe their eyes as the RR skipper ran around in absolute joy.
It came in at the most opportune moment for the Royals and Hasaranga, who were put under the pump by the hard-hitting Dube. But as it turned out, the catch gave them a new lease of life, as CSK were put under more pressure at 72/3, with not a lot of quality batting depth left in the shed.
Parag’s stellar one-handed effort could probably go down as the best catch of the tournament.