Even with Mumbai Indians sitting where they are in the IPL 2026 standings, former Australia skipper Aaron Finch believes the most threatening sides are often the ones with \u201cnothing to lose.\u201d Finch expects MI to pose a serious challenge when they travel to Dharamsala to face Punjab Kings on Thursday, with pressure mounting on Shreyas Iyer\u2019s group after a four-game skid. Speaking on Jiohotstar, Finch said that regardless of a team\u2019s position on the table, MI will approach the contest with intensity. He added that as the tournament reaches its business end, sides can\u2019t afford to hesitate\u2014because there\u2019s everything to play for when you\u2019re trying to knock another team out of contention.<\/p>\n
Finch also shared that he likes the way PBKS attempt games, but he was direct in his assessment of their fielding. Punjab have repeatedly let matches slip through missed opportunities, particularly by dropping key catches at crucial stages. In their last four fixtures, those lapses have swung the momentum and cost them valuable points. After beginning their campaign with a perfect run\u2014remaining unbeaten across their first seven matches\u2014Punjab then lost four straight. This season, they have been responsible for the highest number of missed chances, with 19 catches not taken.<\/p>\n
The former captain pointed to individual errors as part of the bigger problem. All-rounder Shashank Singh has dropped five catches by himself, and those misses make up 26.32% of the total chances that have gone astray for Punjab Kings over the past year. After Shashank let a catch slip in a match against SRH, head coach Ricky Ponting described it as a recurring issue for the side. Ponting said, \u201cIt has been a bit of a virus for us. We have put a lot of catches down this season.\u201d<\/p>\n
Punjab\u2019s spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule echoed the concerns, highlighting that the mistakes have continued even in recent games. Bahutule noted that five catches have been dropped across their last two matches, and he stressed how those errors can disrupt a team\u2019s rhythm. He said, \u201cAt the crucial time, we are dropping a catch, which unfortunately is breaking the momentum we were getting. But we will definitely look into it and see how we can just turn it around for ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still hopeful about Punjab\u2019s playoff prospects, Finch urged the players to seize the chances they\u2019ve been giving away. Having played for PBKS in the past, he believes the team\u2019s path forward depends on tightening up in the field. Finch said he wants Punjab to qualify because he appreciates their brand of cricket, but he also urged them to improve immediately: \u201cJust start catching well, please! You are costing yourself so many opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Finch concluded by underlining how unforgiving T20 cricket can be. He warned that even top-quality players can\u2019t be left unpunished repeatedly when chances are offered. \u201cCricket\u2019s hard. It is brutal at the best of times, and you can\u2019t give the best players in the world chances over and over to beat you,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Even with Mumbai Indians sitting where they are in the IPL 2026 standings, former Australia skipper Aaron Finch believes the most threatening sides are often…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9746,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Aaron Finch: MI vs PBKS IPL 2026 Clash in Dharamsala","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Aaron Finch warns MI vs PBKS in Dharamsala will be a stern test, as pressure grows on Shreyas Iyer after a four-game skid in IPL 2026.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9747","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n