File Pic: Punjab Kings’ Shashank Singh bowled a catch against Sunrisers Hyderabad. (NOT a photo)
Despite Mumbai Indians’ position in the IPL 2026 points table, former Australian captain Aaron Finch has warned that a team with “nothing to lose” is often the most dangerous opponent. MI take on Punjab Kings in Dharamsala on Thursday with the pressure on Shreyas Iyer’s team to break their four-match losing streak. “No matter where the Mumbai Indians are in the rankings, you know they’re going to come at you hard,” Finch said on Jiohotstar. “They can get everything by contributing to knocking a team out and that’s what you’re playing for when you get to this part of the season where you can’t qualify. The former Australian captain expressed his affinity for PBKS’ style of play but was very blunt about their poor fielding position. PBKS have been guilty of dropping key catches at key moments this season, costing them important points in their last four matches. After going undefeated in their first seven games, PBKS lost four on the trot.They have thrown away the most chances this season with 19 missed catches. All-rounder Shashank Singh has taken five catches himself and accounts for 26.32% of the bowled chances for last year’s runner-up. After Shashank’s slump against SRH, head coach Ricky Ponting said, “It’s been a bit of a flu for us. We’ve caught a lot this season.” Sairaj Bahutule, their spin bowling coach, has also expressed concern over their poor fielding, dropping five catches in the last two matches. Bahutule said: “We drop a catch at a crucial moment which unfortunately spoils the pace we were getting. But we will certainly look at it and see how we can turn it around for ourselves.”Former PBKS player Aaron Finch himself remains hopeful of Punjab’s chances in the playoffs and urged the players to seize the chance that cost them points in the last few matches. “I hope Punjab can do it (to qualify for the play-offs) because I like the way they are going about it. Just start catching well please! You are costing yourself so many opportunities,” Finch added. He highlighted the ruthless nature of the game, noting: “Cricket is tough. It’s brutal at the best of times and you can’t give the best players in the world chances over and over to beat you.”
