Punjab Kings: Firepower at the crease and fumbles in the deep

Punjab Kings have been the embodiment of batting dominance in this IPL season. Their top order has consistently shredded bowling attacks, making even 200‑plus chases look routine. The high point came at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Match 35, where they hunted down a staggering 265, the highest successful chase in T20 history. 

For the first half of the season, their batting muscle was enough to bulldoze opponents, delivering six wins in their first seven matches and positioning them as genuine contenders.

Yet cricket, especially T20, has a way of exposing weaknesses. Punjab’s recent slump, three consecutive defeats, has revealed that batting fireworks alone cannot sustain success. The cracks have appeared in the most fundamental department: fielding. Their numbers tell a disappointing story. 

Punjab's horrid run in the field

Out of 56 catching opportunities this season, they have grassed 16 according to ESPNcricinfo logs. Shashank Singh alone has dropped five. A catching efficiency of 71.43% is simply not good enough for a side competing in the IPL, where margins are razor‑thin, and every chance counts.

Even before their slide, Punjab were lucky to escape punishment. In their clash against Delhi at the Arun Jaitley, Shashank Singh dropped KL Rahul on 12 at deep square leg. Rahul went on to score an unbeaten 152, powering Delhi to 264 and making the Punjab bowlers look helpless. Yet, thanks to their batting firepower, Punjab chased it down with ease, a lucky escape that masked their fielding frailties.

But the nadir came in match 49 against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Punjab’s fielding imploded in a way that turned the game decisively. Cooper Connolly spilled Ishan Kishan on 9, a straightforward chance at deep square leg. 

In the very next over, Shashank Singh dropped Heinrich Klaasen on 9, fumbling a sitter at long leg that not only gave Klaasen a reprieve but also trickled away for four. As if that wasn’t enough, Ferguson misjudged another opportunity at fine leg, letting Ishan off again when he was on 18. Those mistakes proved catastrophic. 

Ishan capitalised with a fluent 55 off 32, while Klaasen hammered 69 off 43. Their contributions lifted SRH to a mammoth 235. Punjab’s chase, despite their batting pedigree, faltered at 202. 

Punjab learn the hard way

In an era where T20 cricket is marketed as a batter’s paradise, Punjab Kings are learning the hard way that runs alone don’t secure wins. Fielding remains the invisible currency of success, and right now, Punjab seem bankrupt. The old proverb still rings true: catches win matches. And unless Punjab tighten up in the field, their batting brilliance will continue to be undermined by dropped chances.