Dropping the catch was costly, after the big defeat in Hyderabad, Shreyas Iyer raised questions on the team’s mistakes.

New Delhi. The troubles of Punjab Kings are continuously increasing in IPL 2026. The team had to face a 33-run defeat in the match played against Sunrisers Hyderabad, which was its third consecutive defeat this season. After the end of the match, captain Shreyas Iyer looked very disappointed and clearly said that the team could not live up to the expectations in all the three departments of batting, bowling and fielding. Iyer admitted that poor fielding changed the entire course of the match and the catches dropped in the initial overs proved to be the biggest loss for the team.

Batting first in the match, Hyderabad team started aggressively and maintained pressure on Punjab bowlers throughout the match. Heinrich Klaasen and Ishan Kishan scored brilliant half-centuries and took the team to a strong score. Punjab players missed many important chances, which included dropping easy catches and missing stumpings. The opposition batsmen took full advantage of these mistakes and the team scored a huge score of 235 runs in 20 overs.

Punjab Kings, who set out to chase a big target, did not have a good start. The team came under pressure due to the early fall of early wickets. Although young batsman Cooper Connolly batted brilliantly and scored unbeaten 107 runs and continued the struggle till the end, but other batsmen could not support him. The team could score only 202 runs for seven wickets in the stipulated 20 overs and the match was lost. With this defeat, Punjab’s series of consecutive defeats on the ground of Hyderabad also continued.

After the match, Shreyas Iyer said that the team now needs to seriously work on its mistakes. He admitted that if the team had not missed the initial chances, the opposition’s score could have been much lower. According to Iyer, the wicket was slow and the bowlers had a chance to make a comeback, but poor fielding and weak performance kept the team away from the contest. He also said that the team will have to maintain confidence while avoiding negative thinking.

The captain also reminded that Punjab Kings’ performance at the beginning of the tournament was excellent and the players were taking the field with full confidence. But in the last few matches, the team’s balance has appeared to be deteriorating. He appealed to the players to come back unitedly and said that the team still has a chance to change the situation. Iyer gave special praise to young batsman Cooper Connolly and said that the way he batted under pressure is an inspiration for the rest of the team.

After consecutive defeats, the pressure has increased on Punjab Kings. To remain in the race for the playoffs, the team will have to perform better in the upcoming matches. Along with batting, it is considered very important for the team to improve bowling and fielding also.