Safe hands: Tilak Varma's 26th catch of the year is a new world record

Cricket records usually belong to batters and bowlers, but Tilak Varma has claimed one with his hands. In the second Twenty20 international against New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday, the Indian fielder took two catches in the first three overs — dismissing Tim Seifert and Daryl Mitchell — to reach 26 catches in 2026, more than any fielder has ever taken in a calendar year in T20 internationals. The previous record, 25, was set by Indonesia's Danilson Hawoe in 2025. It is a record built not on one spectacular match but on a whole year of consistency in the field.