Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting looked visibly irritated as another fielding let-off derailed the side, with dropped chances once again playing a decisive role in yet another defeat. In their match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Wednesday, PBKS spilled three catches and ended up losing by 33 runs, a result that pushed them down from the top of the points table and made their playoff equation even tougher.
Key takeaways
- PBKS lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by 33 runs after dropping three catches in the chase.
- Ricky Ponting’s frustration was evident during a mid-innings broadcast chat at the 10-over mark.
- Two of the early misses came before the 10th over, including a dropped chance off Cooper Connolly in the eighth over.
- Shashank Singh also failed to take a chance created by Yuzvendra Chahal in the ninth over.
- This defeat marked PBKS’s third straight loss after a seven-match unbeaten run.
- PBKS have now lost nine straight times to SRH in Hyderabad, setting an IPL record.
Ponting’s frustration after early dropped chances
Ponting appeared on camera for a mid-innings conversation at the 10-over mark of the first innings, and the damage had already been done. Punjab had already missed two catches before that point—one in the eighth over and another in the ninth.
In the eighth over, Cooper Connolly put down Ishan Kishan. The batter went on to reach a half-century, turning the dropped chance into a major swing in momentum. Shortly after, in the ninth over, Shashank Singh—who had also dropped three catches against Lucknow Super Giants earlier in the season—failed to hold on to a chance that Yuzvendra Chahal created, with the missed wicket costing Punjab the dismissal of Heinrich Klaasen.
Speaking about the pattern of errors, Ponting said the situation has almost felt like a “virus” within the group, adding that the team has continued to work hard while the chances keep slipping. He singled out Shashank, suggesting it looks as if he is being targeted by bad luck on every high ball.
“Look, it’s been a bit of a virus for us, to be honest. We’ve put a lot of catches down so far this season. The boys have worked exceptionally hard and poor old Shashank there, it just looks like the chances are following him around everywhere he goes. He’s sitting under every high ball,” Ponting said.
Training focus and the third miss
Ponting also explained that Shashank had missed a couple of games earlier due to a left hamstring issue, and it had taken around a week and a half for him to fully return to action. He said the side had intensified catching practice in the days leading up to the match, aiming to correct the recurring problem.
“He missed a couple of games with a left hamstring, so it’s taken him about a week and a half to come back from that. He’s done all his work over the last week to be physically right to play, and we have really ramped up the catching drills over the last five or six days,” he added.
Moments later, Punjab dropped a third catch—this time involving Lockie Ferguson. Chahal once again created the opening, but Ferguson handed Ishan Kishan another lifeline in the 11th over. Ponting reacted in the moment, though he held back from making an extreme display.
After seeing Ferguson miss, Ponting remarked, “I am pretty close to throwing the microphone on the field.”
Fielding concerns and the impact on the result
The three dropped chances ultimately proved decisive. PBKS fell 33 runs short in their chase of 236, turning a winnable contest into another setback. The loss came as Punjab’s third consecutive defeat following a seven-match unbeaten run.
It also extended their difficult record against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad. This was Punjab’s ninth straight loss to SRH at the venue, which now stands as an IPL record. The previous worst streak was Royal Challengers Bangalore’s 0-8 run versus Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk.
With catching efficiency under scrutiny, Punjab have also emerged as one of the weakest sides in terms of taking catches this season. Their success rate of 73.6 per cent is better only than Delhi Capitals’ 64.5 per cent.
