IPL 2021, Week 3 Roundup: Five best catches

IPL 2021 is now entering its fourth week. With three weeks of action behind us, the tournament has witnessed some breathtaking performances with the bat, the ball and on the field.

At the end of week 3, the IPL points table seems to have a clear distinction between the top and the bottom halves. While CSK, DC and RCB have stamped their authority over the others, teams like KKR, RR and SRH have miserably failed to win games thus far. The Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings are somewhere in the middle of the table and would be keen to get a few wins up their sleeves in the upcoming week to stay in contention for a play-offs berth.

From witnessing Jadeja's carnage with the bat to the first super-over of the season - Week 3 of the IPL has seen quite some action and drama. While batting and bowling performances are often well rewarded, fielding efforts can completely change the complexion of the game. Even though these efforts are seldom overlooked, there have been some fascinating catches taken this week that warrant reliving.

In this article, we take a look at the 5 best catches from week 3 of IPL 2021:

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#5 Yashaswi Jaiswal (RR) to dismiss Sunil Narine (KKR) [IPL Match 18]

In a face-off between the two bottom-ranked teams in the IPL points table, KKR went in to bat first and lost both their openers cheaply. Sunil Narine walked in to bat for the Knights at the 4th wicket and smashed a delivery in the air as soon as he began to accelerate. As the cameras pointed downwards, young Yashaswi Jaiswal put in a fantastic dive to complete the catch to perfection.

Jaiswal ran a long distance and caught the ball with a dive just a foot above the ground. Needless to say, the youngster was awarded the perfect catch of the match award for his brilliance.

Watch the video below:

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#4 Suresh Raina (CSK) to dismiss Navdeep Saini (RCB) [IPL Match 19]

Chasing a tall 192 against the Chennai Super Kings, RCB completely lost their way in the run-chase and faced a top-order batting collapse.

RCB were reeling at 94 for 7 at the start of the 14th over, with Navdeep Saini and Kyle Jamieson at the crease. Facing a ball off Imran Tahir, Saini edged it to first slip, only to find Suresh Raina at the position. With brilliant reflexes, Suresh Raina completed the catch, making it look easy.

Watch the video below:

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#3 Rahul Tripathi (KKR) to dismiss Mayank Agarwal (PBKS) [IPL Game 21]

Walking in to bat first, the Punjab Kings had a dull start to their batting innings - losing three wickets inside 10 overs against the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Mayank Agarwal looked set on 31 and seemed to be the only hope for Punjab to bounce back into the game after a superb bowling performance by KKR. However, in the 12th over, Mayank Agarwal hit a delivery off Sunil Narine to cow-corner, only to find Rahul Tripathi there.

Tripathi dived forward and took a low catch with utmost brilliance to get rid of the dangerous man.

Watch the video below:

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#2 Ravi Bishnoi (PBKS) to dismiss Sunil Narine (KKR) [IPL Match 21]

In the same game, Punjab Kings got off to a perfect start defending their total against KKR. They picked the wickets of Shubman Gill and Nitish Rana inside 3 overs. Sunil Narine walked out as a ray of hope to turn things back in the Knights' favor but fell prey to an absolute stunner by Ravi Bishnoi.

Running a long way from deep cover, Bishnoi covered massive ground and eventually completed an otherwise improbable catch to perfection. The PBKS youngster ran across the ground in celebration of the catch.

Watch the video below:

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#1 Faf du Plessis (CSK) to dismiss Manish Pandey (SRH) [IPL Game 23]

Faf du Plessis is known to be one of the most agile fielders in the IPL. In the game between CSK and SRH, Manish Pandey struck a delivery off Bravo to long-off.

Faf du Plessis was stationed at the catching position, and ran towards the ball to get hold of the fierce strike while diving sidewards. Needless to say, Du Plessis was awarded the perfect catch of the match award for his brilliance.

Watch the video below: