The Punjab Kings (PBKS) have not performed well in the field. Many people criticized them on social media. Sam Curran’s team missed three easy catches in the first six overs against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). This happened in their IPL 2024 match at Eden Gardens.
Punjab Kings chose to bowl first after winning the toss, and they were punished by the in-form opening pair of Sunil Narine and Phil Salt. Harshal Patel’s slower delivery caught Narine off guard in the third over, giving the visitors a chance to dismiss him.
The left-handed hitter attempted to bridge the space between point and short third man, but his upswing was not far from Harpreet Brar. The all-rounder had to dive a bit, but he had two hands on the ball before missing the opportunity.
Skipper Sam Curran also made a legitimate catch at mid-off in the penultimate over of the powerplay, giving Phil Salt a significant respite.
The opening pair took advantage of second chances to hit fifty runs each, putting KKR on track for a historic score. Here are some reactions on Twitter:
“PBKS are trying their best to save the bowlers from criticism by dropping catches,” one fan wrote.
“Catch pakadte nahi.. GT and PBKS should be demoted to PSL,” another fan remarked.
“The state of this fielding from PBKS,” one tweet read.
PBKS do not have any designated fielding coach
The great majority of IPL clubs place a high value on fielding and have recruited well-known former players such as Jonty Rhodes and Ryan Ten Doeschate as coaches. However, Punjab Kings coaching staff, which comprises Trevor Bayliss, Sanjay Bangar, and Brad Haddin to oversee the proceedings, lacks a specific fielding coach, as they did the previous season.
Sunil Narine was ultimately dismissed by Punjab Kings after holding onto a catch. Jonny Bairstow held on to an easy catch at far on off Rahul Chahar’s bowling to finish the opening batter’s 71-run innings in 32 deliveries.