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Punjab Kings (PBKS) fielder Copper Connolly dropped a dolly in the deep. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) batter got a lifeline at the crucial moment of the match, in the first innings, when SRH was batting in full motion. It will be interesting to see how Ishan Kishan carries on his batting with the extra added lifeline. In the ongoing season, the Punjab Kings have created a reputation for dropping catches in crucial moments.

PBKS' Copper Connolly dropped an easy catch of the SRH batter Ishan Kishan

Against the Delhi Capitals, dropped a sitter of KL Rahul at the initial stage of the innings, and PBKS had to pay for it. The DC opener recorded a century in the match. It is needless to say that the Punjab Kings will have to be more cautious in their fielding efforts. When Cooper Connolly dropped the catch, Ishan was batting for only 9 off 9 along with , who just faced only one delivery. For the 8^th over of the first innings, Punjab Kings captain Shreyas decided to bowl first after winning the toss. SRH, on their home ground, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, got a flying start against the table topper through their explosive opening pair of and Travis Head.

That drop catch could be the turning point of the SRH vs PBKS match

In 7 overs, in exchange for the wickets of Head and Sharma, Hyderabad was with 86, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen in the middle, both were fresh batters. It was a golden opportunity for PBKS to shift the momentum towards themselves. If Cooper Connolly was able to take the catch, then the Sunrisers Hyderabad would definitely come under a lot of pressure. “We have got amazing learnings from our last couple of games. We got two losses, but still being at the top of the table, it gives us immense motivation to come here and play today. Yes, there haven't been any complaints. People have been putting in hard yards in practice and also off the field. You have to keep yourself up and running all the time, especially with the travelling and also rejuvenation after the match,” Shreyas Iyer said at the toss. He talked about learnings and motivations, but the catch miss of Cooper Connolly proved that they will have to pay more attention to their fielding practices.

Why did Shreyas Iyer choose to bowl first?

The PBKS skipper expressed that the pitch looked very nice for batting as there was no indication of green on the deck, a flat surface any batter would love to bat on. "I think the surface looks beautiful. There hasn't been a single piece of grass since the time I've seen it. So based on that, I chose bowling. And also, if you see, the last match we played against SRH over here was on this wicket, and they chased 245. So that also being one reason I chose to bowl," Iyer explained why he decided to bowl first after winning the toss in Hyderabad.