IPL 2025 - “The game was really lost in the field” - Stephen Fleming points finger at dropped chances in CSK’s loss to PBKS

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) hit a new low in their Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025) campaign on Tuesday, slumping to a fourth straight defeat in the season against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Stadium in Mullanpur. 

Chasing 220 runs, CSK fell 18 runs short, finishing at 201 runs for 5 wickets, but it was not their batting that drew the ire of head coach Stephen Fleming; it was their shambolic fielding. Priyansh Arya’s blistering 39-ball century had powered PBKS to 219 runs for 6 wickets, and Fleming did not hold back, pinning the loss on a string of dropped catches that let the game slip away.

The first blunder came off Khaleel Ahmed’s bowling in the first over when he botched a caught-and-bowled chance with Arya batting on just 6 runs. Then, in the 12th over, Mukesh Choudhary flubbed a high catch at long-off off Ravichandran Ashwin’s bowling, giving Arya another lifeline. Rachin Ravindra spilled a regulation chance off Noor Ahmad in the 17th over with Shashank Singh on 38 runs.

Punjab Kings feasted on the gifts and scored 219 runs in their 20 overs. Fleming pinned the defeat on three glaring drops that handed the game on a platter, saying,

"The game was really lost in the field, I thought we were sloppy in the field, and we just lacked accuracy under pressure at certain times. We were put under pressure by a fine innings [from Arya] but we've got to be better than that in terms of shutting it down. So that's where the game got away from us."

"We're 18 runs short in a big run chase, so we can look at three sixes here and there. It's been a frustrating season so far. The catching has been poor, but it was poor from both sides tonight. Whether it was something in the light I'm not sure but certainly for us that was an area of concern. We weren't too far away," he added.

CSK have already dropped 11 catches in the ongoing season so far. Their catch efficiency of 68.5 percent is one of the worst.

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Stephen Fleming Acknowledges Improvement in CSK’s Batting 

CSK’s batting had its moments. For the first time this season, their openers, Devon Conway (69 runs off 49 balls) and Ravindra (36 runs off 23 balls), survived the powerplay, racing to 61 runs in 6.3 overs. 

But the middle overs changed the momentum. Shivam Dube (42 runs off 27 balls) could not find the gearshift, and even MS Dhoni’s 27 runs off 12 deliveries, with three sixes, were too little, too late. 

"The positives are we batted a bit better. We've had some substance from the top order, which was a bit lacking, so we were able to then construct the chase. We just weren't able to keep the run rate at a good level through the middle and it was just too much towards the end. But we've been in the game for a lot longer, which is a positive aspect," Fleming stated.

CSK will now head back to their home ground to face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on April 11, Friday.

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