Essential Cricket Fielding Positions and Fielding Drills Every Academy Should Teach
Dhwani Shah
September 22, 2025
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9 min read
Cricket, the gentleman’s game. A game of adrenaline, intensity and emotions, and at the same time, one of patience, precision and strategy. A game of sensational sixes and beautiful deliveries. But under the shadow of power-packed shots and lethal bowling, lurks the underdog of this sport - the art of fielding. Good fielding is one of the most important yet underrated aspects of the sport — a single run-out or catch can turn the tables in a split second, especially in shorter formats like T20 cricket.
Be it the acrobatic abilities of fielding legend Jonty Rhodes, the lightning-fast reflexes of Glenn Philps or Suryakumar Yadav’s match-winning catch at long off, effective fielding is a display of agility, alertness, anticipation, quick decision-making and sharp reflexes. Scoring runs is essential to winning matches, but saving them is equally vital. After all, every run saved is a run earned. Thus, setting the right field is crucial to the success of the team.
Setting a cricket field is like preparing a battlefield, the right player with the appropriate strength must be positioned at just the right place to fortify your own side while decentralizing that of the opponent.
Thus, understanding the different fielding positions and developing the role-specific abilities and strengths to excel in them is an essential part of cricket training. After all, whether you are a batter or a bowler, when the playing field is set, all 11 players have a crucial role to play as a fielder.
In this blog, we explore the different fielding positions in cricket along with cricket fielding drills to master the abilities required for each fielding position.
Fielding positions in cricket are not randomly chosen. Each fielder is carefully handpicked to be placed at a certain position, based on their strengths and abilities, those of the batsmen and the bowler, and of course, the match conditions. To understand cricket fielding positions, we must first understand the terms: Leg side and Off side.
Every cricket pitch is divided into two vertical halves, the leg side and the off side, depending on the stance of the batter.
The area of the field on the same side as the batter’s legs is the leg side or the on side. So for right handed batters, the leg side would be the entire field to their left and for left handed batters, it would be the part of the field to their right. The other half of the field is the off side. The on and off side change based on whether the batter is right or left handed.
In simple words, the field where the batter faces is the off side, and the other side of the field behind him is the leg side or on side.
In the game of cricket, fielders are broadly categorized by their roles into close-in fielders, infielders and outfielders, with specific positions under each category.
As the name suggests, close-in fielders are positioned very close to the batter on-strike to create pressure and for quick dismissals from edges. They are particularly common in Test match strategies to wear down batsmen, force errors and capitalize on them.
Other close-in field positions include: Silly Point, Short Leg, Silly Mid-On and Silly Mid-Off.
Role: Close-in fielders need quick reactions, sharp reflexes and great catching ability to dismiss edges and catches that travel very fast from the bat. This requires impeccable hand-eye coordination and reaction time. Here are some cricket drills to develop these abilities.
In this drill, the coach or a player throws the ball towards another player who flicks it or edges it with a bat to deflect the ball towards the fielder. The fielder in practice must react quickly to catch the deflected ball. The coach or player can also pitch the ball onto a Katchet board from a short distance to create unpredictable deflections towards the catcher.
The batsman edges the ball towards the slip cordon, where the fielders must react quickly to attempt the catch. The players in the slip cordon can rotate positions regularly to practice catching the edged balls at different angles.
A simple drill which can be practised anytime, anywhere. Simply throw a tennis ball against a wall repeatedly and catch the rebound. To increase the difficulty level, you can shorten the distance between yourself and the wall, catch with only one hand or your non-dominant hand. Alternatively, you could also have a partner throw the ball towards you to change the speed and angle.
Infielders are positioned in the 30-yard radius circle around the pitch, known as the infield. This is the inner area of the playing field. Infielders are responsible for stopping ground shots, cutting off quick singles, and supporting run-outs, making it a key fielding position in limited overs cricket.
Other infield positions include: Deep Cover, Deep Point, and Deep Mid-Wicket
Role: An infielder’s main job is to cut off singles and intercept boundaries. They must be agile and respond quickly to the shot’s trajectory, making diving stops and quick throws to stumps. Here are some cricket drills to develop these abilities:
Set up a cone at a considerable distance from the fielder and have a partner roll a ball towards it. The fielder moves toward the ball, bends at the waist to pick it up with one hand in a single, sweeping motion and immediately throws it to eliminate any wasted time between picking up the ball and transitioning to the throw.
Have a player or feeder roll a ball towards the fielder, simulating a shot along the ground. The fielder must sprint towards the ball from his starting position (which can be marked by a cone) and use the long barrier technique (one knee on the ground, the other leg extended forward, body low to the ground) to stop the ball. He must pick it up and throw it back to the coach/player, focusing on a smooth, quick transition between going down, picking the ball up and the throw.
Have a feeder or a player throw a ball randomly, without warning, to the fielder. The fielder must react quickly to catch the ball. Add variations to the speed and angle of the throw to mimic different game-like scenarios. For added difficulty, the catcher can also start with their eyes closed and open them to catch the thrown ball, or start facing backwards and turn around to catch the ball after the feeder calls "Ready".
Boundary fielders or outfielders are those placed near the outer edge or perimeter of the playing field. Their role is to catch or stop powerful shots, prevent them from going over the boundary for a four or a six, and thereby save runs. They play a key role in T20s where batsmen try to play aggressively to score maximum runs in a limited period of time.
Other outfield positions include: Deep Cover, Deep Extra Cover, Deep Mid-Wicket, Deep Square Leg, Sweeper, Cow Corner, Long Leg
Role: Boundary fielders need speed, strong arms and excellent judgment to prevent boundaries, take high catches and aid run-outs. Here are some cricket drills to develop these abilities:
Place 3 cones, one near the stump, one near the boundary and one at a distance of about 10 metres from the boundary, where the fielder is positioned. A player stands at the stumps and rolls the ball towards the boundary. The fielder must sprint towards the boundary, retrieve the ball quickly, turn, and throw it to the player at the stumps. He must then return to the starting position at the middle cone and repeat the exercise.
Players practice throwing at the stumps from different distances which are marked by cones to improve the accuracy of throws in run-out situations. They can initially start with stationary throws to focus on precision, then advance to on-the-run throws to practice real-match situations.
To raise the level of difficulty, increase the throwing distance and turn it into a friendly competition between students. Maybe even offer a little reward for the player with the most direct hits!
A player or feeder rolls the ball towards the boundary. The fielder must dive to stop the ball along the boundary line, and intercept it before it crosses the boundary, crucial for saving runs.
Place a cone to mark the starting position for the fielder. A coach or a player throws a high ball towards the fielder, who must move to come under the path of the ball. They must come into a strong, steady stance, and catch the ball at or above eye level, using either the ‘cup grip’ (palms facing up, pinky fingers touching) or the ‘reverse cup’ grip (fingers pointing up, thumbs interlocked). It’s important to bend the elbows and draw the ball towards the chest or shoulders to absorb the impact. The player then goes back to the starting position, runs around the cone and repeats the drill.
Catch practice is paramount for fielders to develop hand-eye coordination, arm strength and timing to secure wickets. After all, catches win matches!
Place an agility ladder on the ground. The fielder must run the length of the ladder and back with their feet landing in the center of each box with each step. Other footwork exercises on the agility ladder include:
Agility ladder drills help improve speed, agility, reaction time, balance and body control allowing efficient change of direction, getting into the best fielding position quickly and reducing the risk of injury for fielders.
Duration: 90 minutes
Age Group: 10–16 years
Focus: Building agility, reflexes, throwing accuracy, and catching technique.
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With time, the game of cricket is changing. Shots are getting dynamic, formats faster and with every run counting, fielding is gaining more importance than ever. Teaching students the purpose behind different fielding positions helps them become more aware of the field and develop conscious strategies to outsmart the opposing side. Role-specific cricket fielding drills help them enhance their potential and capabilities as fielders and become true all-rounders who contribute beyond the ball or bat. Who knows, your academy could be the one to produce the next Jonty Rhodes, Ravindra Jadeja, or AB De Villiers, a fielding legend in the making!
The main cricket fielding positions include slips, gully, point, cover, mid-off, mid-on, square leg, fine leg, third man, long-on, and long-off. These positions help teams defend runs and create opportunities for wickets.
Fielding is as important as batting or bowling in a cricket match. Fielders help save runs and take wickets. A single catch, run-out, or saved boundary can change the outcome of a match. In shorter formats like T20s, effective fielding often makes the difference between winning and losing.
For beginners, it is best to start with simple drills such as under-arm throws, agility ladder drills, reaction ball drills, and basic catching practice (high and low catches). These drills develop agility, reflexes, and accuracy, which are crucial skills for fielders.
Cricket academies can hone students’ fielding skills by dedicating specific sessions to fielding practice, focusing on role-specific fielding drills during training, organizing engaging fielding contests and camps, and tracking player progress consistently.
Classcard simplifies cricket academy management by handling scheduling, online bookings, attendance tracking, payment collection, and communication with parents. This allows coaches to spend less time on admin and devote more time training players on skills like batting, bowling, and fielding.