Kumar Sangakkara holds the IPL record for most catches by a wicketkeeper in an innings. The Sri Lankan great took five catches behind the stumps for Deccan Chargers against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Hyderabad on 14 April 2011. More than fifteen years later, no other wicketkeeper has managed five catches in a single IPL innings.
Taking four catches in an innings as a wicketkeeper is already a rare feat. It demands sharp reflexes, quick footwork and a bowler who keeps finding the edge. Since the league began in 2008, only a handful of keepers have reached four catches in one innings, and only Sangakkara has gone one better. This article lists every verified case, shows how the record changed over the seasons and explains what the numbers tell us about wicketkeeping in the IPL.
Most Catches by Wicketkeepers in an IPL Innings Overview
The table below gives the headline facts of the record in one glance.
| Record | Holder | Number | Match | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most catches in an innings | Kumar Sangakkara (Deccan Chargers) | 5 | DC vs RCB, Hyderabad | 2011 |
| Most dismissals in a match | Naman Ojha (Delhi Daredevils) | 6 (4 catches, 2 stumpings) | DD vs RR | 2015 |
| Next best catch hauls | Eight keepers | 4 | Various | 2009 to 2022 |
| Most career catches by a keeper | MS Dhoni | 154 | Career total | 2008 to 2025 |
Top 10 Wicketkeeping Catch Records in an IPL Innings
| Rank | Wicketkeeper | Catches | Team | Match | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kumar Sangakkara | 5 | Deccan Chargers | DC vs RCB, Hyderabad | 14 April 2011 |
| 2 | Morne van Wyk | 4 | Kolkata Knight Riders | KKR vs RCB, Durban | 29 April 2009 |
| 3 | Quinton de Kock | 4 | Mumbai Indians | MI vs CSK, Wankhede Stadium Mumbai | 3 April 2019 |
| 4 | MS Dhoni | 4 | Chennai Super Kings | CSK vs KKR, Abu Dhabi | 7 October 2020 |
| 5 | Dinesh Karthik | 4 | Kolkata Knight Riders | KKR vs RR, Dubai | 1 November 2020 |
| 6 | Wriddhiman Saha | 4 | Gujarat Titans | GT vs KKR | 23 April 2022 |
| 7 | Naman Ojha | 4 | Delhi Daredevils | DD vs RR | 2015 |
| 8 | Adam Gilchrist | 4 | Not officially confirmed | Not officially confirmed | 2008 to 2013 |
| 9 | Parthiv Patel | 4 | Not officially confirmed | Not officially confirmed | 2008 to 2020 |
| 10 | Dinesh Karthik | 4 dismissals | Kolkata Knight Riders | KKR vs RR, Eden Gardens Kolkata | 15 May 2018 |
A note on the table. Rows 1 to 9 list innings of four or more clean catches. Naman Ojha also effected two stumpings in the same innings, giving him six dismissals, the highest dismissal count by any wicketkeeper in an IPL match. Dinesh Karthik at rank 10 made four dismissals against Rajasthan Royals in 2018, but the split between catches and stumpings is not officially confirmed, so it sits outside the pure catches list.
Record History
The record moved slowly, then stood still. In the 2009 season Morne van Wyk took four catches for Kolkata Knight Riders against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Durban, setting the early mark. Two years later Sangakkara raised it to five against the same opposition and it has not moved since.
| Season | Record catches in an innings | Holder | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 3 catches, 1 stumping | Yogesh Takawale | MI vs RR |
| 2009 | 4 | Morne van Wyk | KKR vs RCB, Durban |
| 2011 | 5 | Kumar Sangakkara | DC vs RCB, Hyderabad |
| 2019 | 4 | Quinton de Kock | MI vs CSK, Wankhede |
| 2020 | 4 | MS Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik | CSK vs KKR, Abu Dhabi; KKR vs RR, Dubai |
| 2022 | 4 | Wriddhiman Saha | GT vs KKR |
Sangakkara was the keeper captain of Deccan Chargers in 2011. Every one of his five catches came off a different bowler, and all five Chargers bowlers used that day picked up a wicket through his gloves. The match gave Deccan their first ever home win in Hyderabad that season, which made the record even more special.
Quinton de Kock became only the sixth wicketkeeper to claim four or more catches in an IPL game when he did it against Chennai Super Kings in 2019. In the 2020 season MS Dhoni took four catches against Kolkata Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi, a game in which he crossed 100 career catches in the league. A month later Dinesh Karthik matched the feat with four catches against Rajasthan Royals in Dubai, including a brilliant one handed catch to dismiss Ben Stokes, which helped Kolkata keep their playoff hopes alive. Most recently Wriddhiman Saha took four catches for Gujarat Titans against Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2022 season.
What This Record Tells Us
Five catches in one innings is extremely rare because it needs everything to line up. The bowlers must create edges, the batters must keep nicking instead of missing, and the keeper must convert every chance. Sangakkara managed it in a low scoring game where his bowlers kept attacking the stumps, and each of his five catches came from a different bowler.
The career numbers show how hard even four is. MS Dhoni has 154 catches as a keeper, the most in IPL history, and Dinesh Karthik has 137. Yet across their long careers both men reached four catches in a single innings only once. The best season haul by a keeper is Dinesh Karthik with 19 catches for Kolkata Knight Riders in 2018. Adam Gilchrist holds the record for most dismissals in a season with 18 in the 2009 season, when Deccan Chargers won the title.
Wicketkeepers change games through dismissals too. Naman Ojha holds the record for the most dismissals by a keeper in one IPL match, with four catches and two stumpings against Rajasthan Royals in 2015, one of many memorable performances at the Wankhede Stadium. For a look at how whole teams fared across a season, our IPL 2026 season report card rates every side, and the highest partnerships by wicket list shows what keepers are up against when batters settle in. Safe keeping remains one of the most valued skills at the IPL 2027 auction, which is why sharp glovemen always find takers.
For verification of these numbers, the career and match keeping figures are tracked by the 100MB Sports wicketkeeping records page and the MyKhel all time catches list. Match level detail for de Kock’s 2019 feat appears in the CricTracker statistical highlights of MI vs CSK 2019, and Karthik’s 2020 performance is covered in Cricket Country’s report of KKR vs RR 2020.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who holds the record for most catches by a wicketkeeper in an IPL innings?
Kumar Sangakkara holds the record with five catches for Deccan Chargers against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Hyderabad on 14 April 2011.
Has any wicketkeeper taken five catches in an IPL innings?
Only Kumar Sangakkara. No other wicketkeeper has taken five catches in a single IPL innings since the league began in 2008.
Which wicketkeepers have taken four catches in an IPL innings?
Morne van Wyk, Quinton de Kock, MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Wriddhiman Saha, Naman Ojha, Adam Gilchrist and Parthiv Patel have all taken four catches in one IPL innings.
Who holds the record for most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in an IPL match?
Naman Ojha holds the dismissal record with six dismissals, four catches and two stumpings, for Delhi Daredevils against Rajasthan Royals in the 2015 season.
Who has the most career catches as a wicketkeeper in IPL history?
MS Dhoni leads with 154 catches as a wicketkeeper, ahead of Dinesh Karthik with 137. Dhoni is the only wicketkeeper to reach 150 catches in the league.
Who holds the record for most catches by a wicketkeeper in an IPL season?
Dinesh Karthik holds the season record with 19 catches for Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2018 season.
Did Dinesh Karthik ever take four catches in an IPL innings?
Yes. Dinesh Karthik took four catches for Kolkata Knight Riders against Rajasthan Royals in Dubai on 1 November 2020, a match Kolkata won by 60 runs.
Statistics updated through: 9 October 2026
