Ranking 5 best current slip fielders

When it comes to fielding, the slip cordon is one of the most difficult positions. The art of slip-catching after the ball kisses the edge of the bat is not everyone’s cup of tea. Only a few fielders around the globe could fill in that position and pull off some incredible grabs. To become an expert in the slip cordon, one requires to have a remarkable level of reflexes and a sharp mind to receive stunners standing close to a batter.

In the past, Rahul Dravid, Mark Waugh, Allan Donald, Ian Chappell, Mahela Jayawardene, and Graeme Smith have shown how to be accomplished world-class operators of the cordon with their superb fielding techniques and excellent level of temperament. Talking about the current scenario, some players who are known for their batting talent have also proven themselves as slippers with their fielding skills.  

Discussing more, here are five top-notch current slip fielders

5. Ajinkya Rahane

The India batter Ajinkya Rahane is a magnificent fielder in the slip cordon. Standing as a slip fielder, Rahane plays the role of a wall that isn’t easy to breach for batters to gather runs in the area. The veteran helped bowlers dismiss batters like Moeen Ali, Peter Handscomb, and Marcus Harris with his perfect fielding in the crucial fielding position. 

Back in 2021, playing the second Test against England at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai, Rahane displayed his exemplary class as a slip fielder. Before the tea break on Day 2, Rahane took a diving catch on Axar Patel’s delivery to send Moeen Ali back to the pavilion. It also became the 89th catch of his international Test career.

So far, Rahane has taken 163 catches in 192 international appearances. Talking about his fielding record in Tests only, the 34-year-old has chipped in with 99 dismissals for India in 157 innings of 82 matches. In 2015, he became the first fielder to achieve the feat of taking eight blinders in a Test match against Sri Lanka in Galle.