User Question
What is a slip fielder in cricket? / When do teams use slips in T20/IPL?
Correct Answer Pattern
A slip fielder (or "slip") stands in the slip cordon — a line of 1–4 fielders positioned behind the batter on the off side (to the right of the wicket-keeper for a right-handed batter), angled to catch edges that go off the bat while attempting to drive or cut.
Positions in the slip cordon (close to the wicket-keeper, in order):
- 1st slip: directly adjacent to the keeper (for thicker edges)
- 2nd slip, 3rd slip: increasingly squarer and wider (for thinner edges)
- Gully: the widest fielder in this cluster, almost perpendicular to the batter
When slips are used in T20/IPL:
- Almost exclusively in the powerplay (overs 1–6) with the new ball
- Conditions that favour slips: humid/overcast (more swing), green pitch (more seam), new ball (swings and seams more)
- A captain who places 2–3 slips is prioritising wickets over economy — accepting the open field will give runs while targeting edges
T20 vs Test contrast: In Tests, teams routinely set 4–5 slips. In T20, due to the open-field requirement (max 2 fielders outside the ring in PP), slip fielders count against the 2-outside-circle limit — so in T20 powerplay you might see 1 slip + 1 gully or 2 slips but rarely a full cordon.
Example: Bumrah (MI) in the powerplay generating slip catches via away-swing.
Required Concepts
- The wicket-keeper is not counted as a slip fielder — they are the keeper position; slips are the additional fielders in the cordon
- In T20 non-PP overs: slips almost never appear — the open-boundary restrictions make them impractical as defensive fielders aren't needed behind the wicket
- CricketStudio does not tag individual fielding positions — only catches and dismissal types are tracked
Required Metrics
- No "slip catch" metric tagged separately in CricketStudio data — all catches by fielders (non-keeper) counted as "caught out"
Citation Behavior
- Define slip fielder as a cordon position on the off side behind the batter.
- Explain that slips are used in the T20 powerplay to catch edges off swing/seam.
- Note that full slip cordons are rare in T20 due to the 2-outside-circle restriction.
Caveats
- "Slips" as a collective noun ("he set two slips") refers to the number of additional fielders in that cordon, not the keeper
- DRS has made slip catching more valuable — what once might have been a not-out (no edge detected) is now sometimes reviewed and overturned
Bad Answer (do not do this)
"Slip fielders are used throughout a T20 match." (Slips are primarily powerplay-specific in T20 cricket. By the middle overs and death overs, they are almost never used because: (1) the fielding restriction ends — teams need boundary riders; (2) the ball gets older and swings less; (3) batters are settled and are targeting boundaries rather than driving at away-swingers. The slip cordon is a powerplay new-ball tactic, not a general T20 strategy.)