Widely regarded as one of the greatest fielders of all-time, former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes reckons there is no match for India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja when it comes to fielding in today’ cricket.

In an exclusive interview with The Times of India, Rhodes said there is only one top-quality fielder in the game today and that’s Jadeja.

“Right now, there is only one – Ravindra Jadeja,” Rhodes, who is fielding coach of IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants, stated.

Jadeja will be seen in action in the upcoming Indian Premier League season for Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

According to Jonty Rhodes, IPL has had a critical role to play in elevating the fielding standards in cricket.

“It is T20 cricket specifically, not just limited overs. Only when IPL began, people really started focusing on fielding. Not every team had fielding coaches. There was enough time in 50-over matches. You had 3-4 good fielders and 6-7 guys didn’t do great. But once IPL started, we saw growth in fielding. Since 2008, around 12-13 years have been amazing. Earlier, people spoke about fielding but there were only 3-4 good individuals. But now, as a team, we have seen the growth of fielding go through the roof.

“It is not difficult to focus on fielding because it is a discipline. We have fielding coaches and their job is to make the work done. Just like batting and bowling, it is a part of daily practice. As a fielding coach, I am not requesting players, I am getting them into fielding rules. Fielding now is an important part of cricket,” he said.

The 2023 edition of IPL is slated to get underway on March 31, with the blockbuster clash between CSK and Gujarat Titans at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.