Punjab Kings miss 4 chances (Image: X) In the IPL 2026 clash on May 6, Punjab Kings suffered a disastrous outing in the field as they lost three crucial catches and missed a crucial opportunity during their 33-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad. Costly errors provided major lifelines to SRH’s top batsmen who made Punjab pay heavily en route to a formidable 235/4. Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has decoded the possible reasons behind Punjab Kings’ sloppy fielding performance during the encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad, pointing to the tricky field conditions and uneven bounce at the Hyderabad Stadium.
Ishan Kishan fell twice
Ishan Kishan survived two big chances during his explosive innings of 55 off 32 balls.
- Over 7.1: Cooper Connolly took a straight catch at deep backward square off Lockie Ferguson when Kishan was at just 9.
- Above 11: Ferguson himself took another chance at deep midwicket off Yuzvend Chahal with Kishan batting on 18.
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Heinrich Klaasen gets a lifeline
Heinrich Klaasen was also dismissed early in his innings.
- 8.4 overs: Shashank Singh dropped a regulation catch at deep backward square off Chahal when Klaasen was at 9.
Klaasen cashed in in brutal fashion, smashing a match-defining 69 off 43 deliveries to finish as SRH’s top scorer.
A missed dunk adds to the misery of PBKS
Punjab’s problems behind the stumps were compounded when wicketkeeper Prabhsimran Singh wasted a chance against Kishan in the 11th over off Chahal’s bowling.Despite Connolly’s sensational first IPL century, an unbeaten 107 off 59 balls, the Punjab Kings eventually fell behind in the chase and were unable to recover from the damage caused by their fielding errors as SRH sealed a convincing 33-run win.Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin decoded the possible reasons,“I’m not making excuses, but something definitely went wrong with the Punjab Kings campaign this time. They dropped too many catches. Even when Ricky Ponting was questioned during the match, he mentioned that poor fielding is spreading through the team like a virus,” Ashwin said.Ashwin particularly singled out Cooper Connolly’s dropped catch and related it to the nature of the outside field near the boundary ropes.“One thing I noticed was Cooper Connolly’s dropped catch. Just before that he also misplayed the boundary. You could clearly tell from that that the ball was bouncing unusually close to the boundary line. Even in the previous match at the Hyderabad Stadium, he was kicking the ball upwards. It usually happens when the outfield is very hard and loses its softness,” he explained.The veteran off-spinner also analyzed Prabhsimran Singh’s missed stumble and felt the keeper was caught off guard by the unexpected bounce.“Prabhsimran’s trip happened because I don’t think he was fully prepared for that kind of bounce. When Ishan Kishan stepped up, he expected the ball to hit the gloves normally, but suddenly it bounced more than expected. He couldn’t judge it in time. Since he is not very tall, he has to read the bounce earlier than most wicketkeepers,” Ashwin added.
