IPL 2018, SRH vs KXIP: 5 talking points

#4 KXIP's sloppy fielding

Ashwin dropped a simple chance early in the SRH innings which would have made a major difference in the game

If there was one thing that the KXIP batting bettered, then it was their own fielding. The way the Punjab fielders dropped catches, it seemed like SRH were given the opportunity to score 132.

A total of four catches were dropped and three of those drops came when Manish Pandey was batting. During the fourth over, Pandey decided to lift a good length delivery from Barinder Sran over mid-on and Ravichandran Ashwin reached out but fumbled what should have been a routine catch. Pandey was batting at just 4 at the time.

The next drop came in the very next over when Andrew Tye failed to hold on to a sitter which came towards him while Pandey poorly pulled an Ankit Rajpoot delivery. Tye had taken a catch in just the previous delivery to dismiss Wriddhiman Saha.

Pandey was given a third life in the 17th over when he tried to hurl a slow, length delivery by Andrew Tye over midwicket. The ball went towards Mayank Agarwal who dropped it.

A fourth drop catch came during the 18th over when Manoj Tiwary dropped Yusuf Pathan at deep midwicket and the ball went over the fence for a six.

Had any of the first two drops been taken, then Manish Pandey wouldn't have been able to reach double figures. That's 45-50 runs right there. If it wasn't for KXIP's drops, then Sunrisers might not have been able to even score 100-110 on the board.

These dropped chances resulted in KXIP losing their match, and if their fielders are not alert, then Punjab would have immense problems as the tournament progresses.