India’s catching crisis: 24 drops since T20 World Cup, 13 vs IRE & EN…

For a team that lifted the T20 World Cup 2026 just months ago, catching should have been the least of the problems. But that isn’t the case for the India cricket team, who have lost two back-to-back series. The phase catches win matches absolutely true. And it proved to be the case yet again on Saturday in the ENG vs IND 5th T20I as Jos Buttler made the most of Shivam Dube’s failed effort to pile misery on the visitors.

Fielding, especially catching, has been a major concern for Team India since the T20 WC. In just the series against England alone, the Men in Blue have dropped 5 catches. Against Ireland, the team dropped a whooping 6 catches across 2 games. Such is the miserable fielding efforts put in by the Men in Blue in the last two series that they are now only behind Bangladesh and Ireland among the teams with the worst catching efficiency since the T20 World Cup 2026 (among full member nations).

India’s catching concerns

Since the start of the T20 World Cup, India have had a catch efficiency of just 72.1%. tbzikra.org

1. T20 World Cup 2026

Let’s start with the marquee event. Suryakumar Yadav and co. dropped 13 catches en route to securing their third trophy and finished the tournament with an efficiency of 71.7%. Well, one would have thought the two-month break in between would have rejuvenated the Indian stars and help them come back stronger in terms of fielding in international cricket. That turned out to be the exact opposite.

1. IRE vs IND 1st T20I

In the 1st T20I against IRE where India were defeated by 34 runs, three catches were put down – one each by Shivam Dube, Abhishek Sharma and Washington Sundar. Lorcan Tucker, who was dropped by Sundar, went on to score a half-century. Regardless, two out of the three catches that were dropped were absolute sitters.

1. IRE vs IND 2nd T20I

Three catches were dropped in the IRE vs IND 2nd T20I as well. Harshit Rana was the first to do so. A horrible mix-up with Ishan Kishan near the third man region led to Rana dropping what would have been an easy catch. Next, Prince Yadav dropped Harry Tector while attempting to take a return catch. The final nail in the coffin came from Arshdeep Singh who dropped Harry Tector (second lifeline to the batter) in the 11th over as he attempted to take a catch near long-off but failed.

1. ENG vs IND T20I series

While India did not bowl (much to their delight in terms of fielding) in the 1st T20I, poor catching returned to haunt them in the 2nd match. Axar Patel (in the 3rd over) managed to take a catch off Harry Brook’s willow near the boundary ropes, and attempted to throw it back into the field after falling over the boundary ropes. However, the ball landed on the cushion. Therefore, another dropped catch was added to India’s tally, making it the first of the series. Brook went on to score 39 runs.

In the ENG vs IND 3rd T20I, Sam Curran – who scored an unbeaten 41-run knock in the game – was dropped in the penultimate over. Harshit Rana was the man who dropped a catch once again, this time at deep square despite managing to get both his hands underneath the ball.

Three catches were dropped in the ENG vs IND 5th T20I. The one which hurt the most was the very first one. Brook was just on 3 runs when Shivam Dube dropped an absolute sitter in the 6th over. The England batter went on to score an unbeaten 95-run knock and stitched together a record 233-run stand for the 2nd wicket. Buttler was dropped by Shedge in the 16th over while Brook was once again dropped by Ishan Kishan in the final over.

Michael Vaughan takes a dig at Team India's fielding #ENGvIND #IndianCricketTeam #Cricket pic.twitter.com/W2wtJcvwuy

— InsideSport (@InsideSportIND) July 11, 2026

Match	Catches dropped
T20 World Cup 2026	13
1st T20I vs IRE	3
2nd T20I vs IRE	3
2nd T20I vs ENG	1
3rd T20I vs ENG	1
5th T20I vs ENG	3

What is the solution?

Well for starters, the BCCI might finally decide to part ways with fielding coach T Dileep. After all, his tenure has seen multiple extensions. While it has yielded some good results in the past, the quality of catching has simply deteriorated in 2026. It will be wise for the board to find someone new who can perhaps take a different route to ensure the catching efficiency improves.

But the hard work has to be undoubtedly put in by the Men in Blue. Experienced campaigners dropping sitters, espeically in the shortest format of the game, is simply unacceptable.

The post India’s catching crisis: 24 drops since T20 World Cup, 13 vs IRE & ENG at a miserable efficiency of 72.1% appeared first on Inside Sport India.

New Delhi [India], July 12 (ANI): Three promising golfers from the Delhi Golf Club (DGC) will represent India at the 78th Singapore Open Amateur Championship, scheduled to be held from July 14 to 17 at the Singapore Island Country Club’s Bukit Course.

Organised by the Singapore Golf Association, the prestigious event is one of Asia’s leading amateur golf tournaments and will feature top men’s and women’s amateur golfers from across the region and beyond. The championship is also a World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) counting event, with the winner earning an invitation to compete in the prestigious Singapore Open.

The Indian contingent from DGC comprises Deepak Yadav, Chaitanya Pandey and Ranveer Mitroo, all of whom expressed their excitement at representing the country on the international stage.

Deepak Yadav described the selection as a special milestone in his career.

“It’s a great feeling. Representing India at the international level is everyone’s dream. I’ve been there before, but this is a very special moment. It’s a dream for any player who wants to play golf and starts playing golf. It’s their dream to go and represent India. Hopefully, I want to pursue a professional career next year," he said.

Fourteen-year-old Chaitanya Pandey, currently ranked among the top five players on the Indian amateur circuit, believes the tournament will be an important learning experience.

“I am very proud of representing my country outside India in the Singapore Open Amateur Golf Championship. I am currently 14 years old and am in the top 5 in the Indian amateur circuit. It will definitely be a great exposure for my career in the growth of my game," he said.

Ranveer Mitroo, who is set to make his third appearance for India’s men’s national team after previously representing the country at the junior level, is eager to embrace the challenge.

“I’m really excited. It’s always an honor playing for my country. This is my third time playing for my men’s national team. I represented India thrice as the junior team. I’m just really excited for the challenge. It’s gonna be tough conditions, weather-wise, most probably. I’m looking forward to the challenge," he said.

First played in 1948, the Singapore Open Amateur Championship has long served as a platform for emerging talent, with several former champions going on to establish successful professional careers. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

Rome [Italy], July 12 (ANI): The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has appointed former captain and legendary defender Paolo Maldini as its new Technical Director, bringing one of the country’s most celebrated football figures back into the national team setup as Italy looks to rebuild its fortunes on the international stage.

The federation announced the appointment through its official channels, confirming that Maldini will work alongside Leonardo, who has been named as an advisor, according to FIFA.

“It is with great pleasure that the FIGC President, Giovanni Malago, announces that Paolo Maldini has accepted the role of Technical Director of the Federation. Paolo Maldini will carry out this role alongside Leonardo, who will serve as an advisor," the federation said in a statement.

Maldini’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment for Italian football. While the Azzurri celebrated UEFA EURO 2020 success under Roberto Mancini, the national side has struggled to maintain its standing in world football, having failed to qualify for the last three editions of the FIFA World Cup.

One of the greatest defenders to have played the game, Maldini represented Italy 127 times during an international career that spanned more than a decade. He captained the national team from 1993 until 2002, with his final appearance coming in Italy’s Round of 16 defeat to Korea Republic at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Renowned for his leadership, consistency and longevity, Maldini remains one of the most iconic figures in Italian football. His experience extends beyond his playing career, having enjoyed success in football administration as sporting director of AC Milan.

During his tenure with the Serie A club, Maldini played a key role in rebuilding the squad that ended Milan’s long wait for the league title by winning the 2021-22 Serie A crown, according to FIFA.

The FIGC will hope Maldini’s wealth of experience, football knowledge and leadership can help shape the future of Italian football as the federation aims to restore the Azzurri to the highest level of international competition. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

India cricket team star Virat Kohli is all set to return to action for the first time since the series against New Zealand earlier this year in the ENG vs IND ODI series. With the three-match series scheduled to commence from July 14, the former Indian captain was seen coaching current skipper Shubman Gill in Birmingham ahead of the 1st ODI. Kohli will be eager to get back to action after missing the series against Afghanistan due to an injury.

Virat Kohli coaches Shubman Gill

As per The Times of India, Kohli was involved in an animated conversation with Gill for around 30 minutes during the team’s two-hour long training session on Saturday. The report states that the discussion involved the former Indian captain offering inputs on shot selection, strategy, and ways to tackle the England bowlers. Virat displayed an array of strokes for Shubman to take note of.

Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli had a chat during a training session at Edgbaston #ShubmanGill #ViratKohli #ENGvIND #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/43XKeiE3U9

— InsideSport (@InsideSportIND) July 12, 2026

Kohli has played 33 ODIs in England – the most number of 50-over format games that he has played outside India. Virat has amassed 1349 runs at an average of 51.88 in England, and has scored one hundred and 12 fifties. The ex-Indian skipper is a little shy of over 200 runs to clock 16000 runs in the 50-over fomat.

Meanwhile, Shubman Gill be playing in England for the first time in the 50-over format. This will also be his first series in England as the ODI captain. He has played four ODIs against ENG (all in India) in which he has scored 268 runs at an average of 67. This includes three fifty-plus scores. The last time Gill faced England, he slammed a 112-run knock off 102 deliveries.

Team India’s 1st practice session

Saturday’s practice session also saw Rohit Sharma sweating it out in the nets while Jasprit Bumrah and Gurnoor Brar bowled to batters with deliveries that hit the deck hard, thereby extracting bounce. The report states that while Kuldeep Yadav had an extended session, local spinners bowled to the Indian batters in a bid to help them get acclimatized with the English conditions. The support staff who were present in the nets session included fielding coach T Dileep, spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutale, throwdown specialist Dayasagar.

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