IPL 2026: No Shashank redemption for Punjab amid 16 dropped catches

They say catches win matches and where T20 cricket is concerned, the margins are very thin. So when a side sitting comfortably on top of the IPL table makes it a habit of flooring sitters, like Punjab Kings have been doing lately, it begins to show.

After remaining unbeaten in their first 7 games, Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab have lost three consecutive matches and have been toppled off the summit by Sunrisers Hyderabad and for that, they have no one else but their catching to blame.

For the record, Punjab have dropped 16 catches this season, the highest so far.

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There is also a meme doing the rounds on social media about Shashank Singh who has dropped more catches – five this season in his last three matches – than the number of wickets Jasprit Bumrah has taken.

A furious Ricky Ponting, the head coach of Punjab, has called it a virus.

But it would be grossly unfair to blame Shashank alone. Centurion Cooper Connolly, along with Lockie Ferguson, also put down straightforward chances that allowed Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen to capitalise. Kishan went on to score 55 off 32 balls, while Klaasen made 69 off 43 deliveries.

Speaking at the post-match presentation, skipper Iyer said his team paid the price for poor fielding, especially early dropped catches, as the pitch slowed down and allowed Sunrisers Hyderabad to take control of the match. He added that Punjab started the season well but need to improve consistency and fielding standards to maintain momentum.

"It was a bit too much because we dropped catches at the start. The wicket kept getting slower. They played comprehensive cricket and showed us how to win the match. I feel we got a fairytale start in the tournament, and everyone was in a great space. If we are going to continue with the same form, that's not going to help us… Unfortunately, we weren't able to take catches," he said.

Punjab’s spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule also admitted the missed opportunities in fielding hurt the side. "It was very important for us to execute our plans and we did execute them. Unfortunately, catches were dropped and I think that hurt us. It was very important to take those catches because they are such players (Kishan and Klaasen) that if you tend to drop catches they will score and score quickly.

"I think definitely catching could have changed the momentum of the game. There would have been fresh batters on the pitch and we could have executed our plans more effectively and then ended up maybe giving more than 50 runs less," he said.

Bahutule acknowledged the psychological impact of repeated misses but backed his players, especially Shashank, to recover from it. "Sometimes a player, for example, is not getting runs, there are a few innings (in) which he doesn't get runs and he starts thinking as to why he's not getting runs; a bowler also starts getting hit and he wonders as to what is the reason why I'm getting hit.

"Fielding is the same thing – if you keep dropping catches there is a sort of doubt created in the mind in terms of whether I'm catching properly or am I taking the pressure, am I being too anxious… things like that come creeping (in),” he added.