diff --git a/src/datasets/table.py b/src/datasets/table.py
index bfa63173ef9..f18e402786e 100644
--- a/src/datasets/table.py
+++ b/src/datasets/table.py
@@ -2000,10 +2000,14 @@ def cast_array_to_feature(
             sequence_kwargs = vars(feature).copy()
             feature = sequence_kwargs.pop("feature")
             feature = {name: Sequence(subfeature, **sequence_kwargs) for name, subfeature in feature.items()}
-        if isinstance(feature, dict) and {field.name for field in array.type} == set(feature):
+        if isinstance(feature, dict) and (array_fields := {field.name for field in array.type}) <= set(feature):
             if array.type.num_fields == 0:
                 return array
-            arrays = [_c(array.field(name), subfeature) for name, subfeature in feature.items()]
+            null_array = pa.array([None] * len(array))
+            arrays = [
+                _c(array.field(name) if name in array_fields else null_array, subfeature)
+                for name, subfeature in feature.items()
+            ]
             return pa.StructArray.from_arrays(arrays, names=list(feature), mask=array.is_null())
     elif pa.types.is_list(array.type) or pa.types.is_large_list(array.type):
         # feature must be either [subfeature] or LargeList(subfeature) or Sequence(subfeature)
diff --git a/tests/test_table.py b/tests/test_table.py
index c624f98d3f0..2c0cdd1a9b6 100644
--- a/tests/test_table.py
+++ b/tests/test_table.py
@@ -1142,6 +1142,14 @@ def test_cast_decimal_array_to_features():
         cast_array_to_feature(arr, Sequence(Value("string")), allow_decimal_to_str=False)
 
 
+def test_cast_array_to_features_with_struct_with_missing_fields():
+    arr = pa.array([{"age": 25}, {"age": 63}])
+    feature = {"age": Value("int32"), "name": Value("string")}
+    cast_array = cast_array_to_feature(arr, feature)
+    assert cast_array.type == pa.struct({"age": pa.int32(), "name": pa.string()})
+    assert cast_array.to_pylist() == [{"age": 25, "name": None}, {"age": 63, "name": None}]
+
+
 def test_cast_array_to_features_nested():
     arr = pa.array([[{"foo": [0]}]])
     assert cast_array_to_feature(arr, [{"foo": Sequence(Value("string"))}]).type == pa.list_(