New Delhi: Yuzvendra Chahal He could only stare in disbelief as another catch sank into the deep sea. Kings XI Punjab may have gone into the crucial match against Sunrisers Hyderabad with playoff ambitions, but their defensive efforts could derail all plans in the overs. The numbers make the Kings XI Punjab story even uglier. Chahal has now suffered six catches in his bowling this season, which is the highest among bowlers in IPL 2026.Shashank Singh He has given up four catches this year alone, second-most among all fielders behind Mumbai Indians’ Naman Dhir.
On a flat pitch like Hyderabad, the bowlers survive on half-chances and brilliant moments from the fielders. Chahal created these chances many times. Kings XI Punjab failed to hold on when it mattered most.On a batting-friendly pitch like Hyderabad, where every opportunity counts, PBKS simply can’t afford butterfinger – but that’s exactly what happened around Chahal.The leg-spinner has quietly emerged as one of Punjab’s most important wicket-taking options this season, but his frustration reached another level on Wednesday night. Heinrich Klassen and Ishan Kishan Despite the chance given by Chahal’s bowling, both survived and the spinners clearly broke in the middle.The first blow came when Heinrich Klaasen sent a straight shot to Shashank Singh deep behind leg. In professional cricket, fielders make this catch almost every time. Instead, Shashank made matters worse for Punjab by missing the direct chance and the ball sailed away for four runs. Chahal immediately fell to his knees in frustration while skipper Shrias Iyer struggled to hide his disappointment.watch:Then things got worse. Ishan Kishan missed another delivery off Chahal, producing a top-edge that should have been collected safely by Lockie Ferguson near the boundary. But the New Zealand pacer completely misjudged the ball and missed another routine catch. Chahal once again hunched over in disbelief as another wicket disappeared.
