Punjab Kings’ struggles in the IPL 2026 continued on Wednesday night as they suffered their third straight defeat after failing to chase Sunrisers Hyderabad’s massive target of 236 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. While SRH secured a comfortable 33-run victory, Punjab’s poor fielding proved to be one of the biggest turning points of the match.
Punjab Kings gave multiple lifelines to Ishan Kishan during his explosive innings. Cooper Connolly dropped him when he was on 9, Lockie Ferguson missed another chance on 18 and wicketkeeper Prabhsimran Singh failed to complete a stumping when Ishan Kishan was batting on 20. The left-handed batter made full use of those opportunities and smashed 55 runs off just 32 balls.
Heinrich Klaasen also benefited from Punjab’s sloppy fielding. Shashank Singh dropped Heinrich Klaasen when he was on 13 and SRH star went on to score a match-winning 69 off 43 balls. It marked Shashank Singh’s fifth dropped catch of the season, adding to Punjab’s growing concerns in the field.
Powered by the aggressive knocks from Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen, Sunrisers Hyderabad posted a huge 235/4 in 20 overs and registered their seventh win of the season.
Even after getting out in the 15th over, Ishan Kishan continued to make headlines. The wicketkeeper-batter later posted on Instagram with the cheeky caption, “Catch me if you can,” in what appeared to be a subtle dig at Punjab Kings’ fielders.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DYAjnXDEqF7
After the match, PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer admitted that dropped catches hurt the team badly. He said the missed opportunities were the biggest setback, adding that the side would reflect on the mistakes and aim to bounce back stronger.
Last season’s runners-up had started the IPL 2026 with a seven-match unbeaten streak before Rajasthan Royals ended their run. Punjab Kings will now look to recover when they face Delhi Capitals on Monday.
