diff --git a/hudi-cli/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/cli/HoodiePrintHelper.java b/hudi-cli/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/cli/HoodiePrintHelper.java
index 635097f8a5ad5..3cce3014049cf 100644
--- a/hudi-cli/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/cli/HoodiePrintHelper.java
+++ b/hudi-cli/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/cli/HoodiePrintHelper.java
@@ -59,6 +59,10 @@ public static String print(TableHeader rowHeader, Map<String, Function<Object, S
       return HoodiePrintHelper.print(rowHeader);
     }
 
+    if (!sortByField.isEmpty() && !rowHeader.containsField(sortByField)) {
+      return String.format("Field[%s] is not in table, given columns[%s]", sortByField, rowHeader.getFieldNames());
+    }
+
     Table table =
         new Table(rowHeader, fieldNameToConverterMap, Option.ofNullable(sortByField.isEmpty() ? null : sortByField),
             Option.ofNullable(isDescending), Option.ofNullable(limit <= 0 ? null : limit)).addAllRows(rows).flip();
diff --git a/hudi-cli/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/cli/TableHeader.java b/hudi-cli/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/cli/TableHeader.java
index 0472b0f73863b..e257e36a1609a 100644
--- a/hudi-cli/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/cli/TableHeader.java
+++ b/hudi-cli/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/cli/TableHeader.java
@@ -68,4 +68,8 @@ public String get(int index) {
   public int getNumFields() {
     return fieldNames.size();
   }
+
+  public boolean containsField(String fieldName) {
+    return fieldNames.contains(fieldName);
+  }
 }