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Punjab Kings faced a tough defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad, dropping three catches and missing a stumping opportunity. Ravichandran Ashwin attributed the fielding errors to tricky outfield conditions and uneven bounce.
In the IPL 2026 clash on May 6, Punjab Kings endured a disastrous outing in the field, dropping three crucial catches and missing a key stumping opportunity during their 33-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad. The costly errors handed major lifelines to SRHâs top batters, who made Punjab pay heavily on their way to a formidable 235/4. Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin decoded the possible reasons behind Punjab Kingsâ sloppy fielding display during the clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad, pointing to the tricky outfield conditions and uneven bounce at the Hyderabad stadium.
Ishan Kishan survived two major chances during his explosive innings of 55 off 32 balls.
Heinrich Klaasen was also handed a reprieve early in his innings.
Klaasen capitalised in brutal fashion, smashing a match-defining 69 off 43 deliveries to finish as SRHâs top scorer.
Punjabâs struggles behind the stumps further compounded their problems when wicketkeeper Prabhsimran Singh missed a stumping chance against Kishan in the 11th over off Chahalâs bowling.
Despite a sensational maiden IPL century from Connolly, an unbeaten 107 off 59 balls, Punjab Kings ultimately fell short in the chase, unable to recover from the damage caused by their fielding errors as SRH sealed a convincing 33-run victory.
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin decoded the possible reasons,
âIâm not making excuses, but something definitely looked off with Punjab Kingsâ fielding this time. They dropped far too many catches. Even when Ricky Ponting was being interviewed during the match, he mentioned that poor fielding spreads like a virus through a team,â Ashwin said.
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âOne thing I noticed was Cooper Connollyâs dropped catch. Just before that, he had misfielded a boundary as well. From that, you could clearly understand that the ball was bouncing unusually near the boundary line. Even in the previous match at the Hyderabad stadium, the ball was kicking up sharply. This usually happens when the outfield becomes very hard and loses its softness,â he explained.
Punjab Kings dropped three crucial catches and missed a key stumping opportunity during their match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Ishan Kishan scored 55 runs off 32 balls and survived two dropped catches during his innings.
Ravichandran Ashwin suggested that the tricky outfield conditions and uneven bounce contributed to Punjab Kings' sloppy fielding display.
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The veteran off-spinner also analysed the missed stumping by Prabhsimran Singh and felt the wicketkeeper was caught off guard by the unexpected bounce.
âPrabhsimranâs missed stumping happened because I donât think he was fully prepared for that kind of bounce. When Ishan Kishan stepped out, he expected the ball to come normally onto the gloves, but it suddenly bounced more than expected. He couldnât judge it in time. Since he isnât very tall, he has to read that bounce earlier than most keepers,â Ashwin added.