Watch- Ricky Ponting Rejoices As Marco Jansen Reverses Punjab Kings Fielding Fortunes

Ricky Ponting celebrates Marco Jansen catch [Source: screengrab]

The IPL 2026 season has turned out to be a tough one for the Punjab Kings franchise, at least in the fielding department. While the Shreyas Iyer-led side has pulled off some remarkable run-chases this tournament, their bowling and fielding continue to remain their biggest area of concern off late.

Moreover, it was Punjab Kings’ repeated fielding blunders that led to their defeats against Rajasthan Royals, Gujarat Titans and SRH in successive games. Shashank Singh even bore the brunt for his share of dropped catches as the cricketer was dropped from the playing XI in the second half of their group stage.

In the match against the Delhi Capitals on Monday, May 11, Punjab Kings’ South Africa import Marco Jansen finally put an end to his team’s fielding misery by snaring a sensational catch to get rid of charismatic opener KL Rahul. As one can expect, the spotlight quickly panned to head coach Ricky Ponting, who has limited tolerance for fielding blunders.

Ricky Ponting reacts as Punjab Kings reboot fielding game

In the third over of the Delhi Capitals innings in match 55 of the IPL 2026 season, opener KL Rahul top-edged the ball high up in the air off Arshdeep Singh. An agile Marco Jansen covered some distance, and even outrun wicketkeeper Prabhsimran Singh to take a sensational diving catch low to his left.

Also Read- Punjab Kings Seek Top-2 Comeback Against Depleted Delhi Capitals

With Punjab Kings celebrating their early breakthrough, the attention quickly shifted to head coach Ricky Ponting in the dugout. The former Australian skipper, who is known for his zero-tolerance policy on fielding, cheered Jansen’s effort with a round of applause and a wide smile.

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Middle stump uprooted 🎯 And a skier safely taken 👏 @PunjabKingsIPL off to the perfect start with the ball 🥳 Updates ▶️

May 11, 2026, 9:39 AM

Punjab Kings’ season of fielding woes

Even though Punjab Kings has emerged as one of the leading candidates to make it to the top four, fielding and bowling has often let them down this season. Not long ago, Shashank Singh dropped a sitter to reprieve KL Rahul at 12*, who went on to plunder a record 152 off just 67 balls.

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Shashank dropped a few more catches at various stage of the tournament. However, he was far from being the lone culprit in the Punjab Kings side, as players like Cooper Connolly, Lockie Ferguson also spilled some easy chances on the field.

What’s even more surprising is that the team is coached by champion Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting, who was widely regarded as one of the greatest fielders in the world during his playing days. Moreover, Ponting was often spotted scolding his Australian teammates over the slightest of fielding error back in his time.

Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals: Story so far

Punjab Kings batted first and charted 210-5 in 20 overs. Opening batter Priyansh Arya smeared 56 off just 33 balls, while captain Shreyas Iyer clubbed 59* off 36 to top-score in the innings. Cooper Connolly also made a quick 38 during the middle overs.

In response, Delhi Capitals lost three wickets inside the powerplay overs, including two to ace paceman Arshdeep Singh.

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