Not bowling but horrible fielding standards at IPL 2026 is culprit for batters scoring 986 runs in a day ...Middle East

April 25, 2026 will be remembered as a record-breaking day in the IPL. 986 runs in 77.2 overs. Fifty-nine sixes, with almost three boundaries per over. A 265 chase, the highest ever in T20 history, was completed with an over to spare. Two outrageous hundreds from KL Rahul and 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, with both of them ending in a losing cause. For entertainment lovers, it was nothing less than a dream. But for genuine cricket lovers, it was a horrible sight. Anyone who understands cricket, it was a farce.

This was not just great batting or poor bowling. This was fielding that completely collapsed. Basic chances went down. Outfield work was casual. Situations were misread. And the result was predictable. Batters did not need to take risks when fielders were doing the damage for them. Yes, the batting that we saw from a number of batters was otherworldly, but the missed chances played their part for sure.

Both losing captains, Axar Patel and Riyan Parag, accepted it that dropped catches cost them the game. It wasn’t an excuse. That is a fact.

That was a tough day at office for the bowlers Drop your favourite moment from the run-filled day #TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #DCvPBKS | #RRvSRH pic.twitter.com/YKKldTjGdc

When you drop KL Rahul twice, you deserve 152

KL Rahul’s 152* will go into the record books as one of the greatest IPL innings. First-ever Indian to smash a 152. In fact, no other Indian has a better individual score in T20s now than Rahul’s 152 against PBKS in Delhi. However, it was his day (just not the result), with Punjab giving him two easy reprieves.

First, he was dropped on 12 by Shashank Singh. A straightforward chance but Shashank made a meal of it. Arshdeep Singh, the bowler, started to celebrate as the ball went up in the air but was stopped as soon as the ball went through the fielder’s hands. Rahul was dropped again on 51. Another moment where Punjab gave away luxury to Rahul. But Punjab let him bat, settle, and then dominate. He finished unbeaten on 152, the third-highest score in IPL history and the highest by an Indian.

You cannot drop a set batter twice in T20 cricket and expect anything other than punishment. Rahul added 140 runs after his first life. After the second, he added another 101. That is not luck. That is negligence from the fielding side. Even beyond the drops, there were misfields, half-stops, and a general lack of urgency. Singles became twos. Dots became boundaries. On top of that, some horrendous bowling from Xavier Bartlett and Vijaykumar Vyshak helped DC hammer 264/2.

How costly were the drops?

Across the day, 16 catches were dropped . That number alone explains the 986 runs more than any discussion about pitches or power-hitting.

Delhi returned favour to Punjab

If Punjab were careless, Delhi were worse. They had 264 on the board. The game was theirs to control. Instead, they handed it away. Axar Patel’s captaincy wasn’t up to the mark, as he didn’t bowl out Kuldeep Yadav when he got two wickets and was looking good. Defending 264, you just need a couple of quiet overs and fielders not messing much. But everything went haywire from the first ball that Priyansh Arya clubbed for a maximum.

Mukesh Kumar turned a catch into a six by stepping on the rope. Another chance, gone. Earlier, a misjudged effort in the deep gifted boundaries. These are not small errors in a 260-plus game. However, the horrible episode came when Karun Nair messed up twice in a span of three balls.

Nair didn’t just drop chances, he dropped the match. He grassed straightforward catches to dismiss Shreyas Iyer. These were not half-chances or difficult efforts in the deep, they were clean opportunities that professional sides are expected to take every single time. Vipraj Nigam, the bowler, was left on the ground in disbelief, hands on his head, because he knew exactly what those moments meant. Everyone did.

At that stage, Delhi were still ahead, having taken Nehal Wadhera’s wicket a moment ago. Remove Iyer there and the chase collapses. Instead, he was handed two lives, settled instantly, and took the game away. Punjab do not chase 265 without that sequence. That was the turning point. Punjab’s openers were already aggressive, but poor fielding removed any need for caution. They raced to 116 in the powerplay. Once that happened, the chase stopped being difficult and became inevitable.

Not bowling but horrible fielding standards at IPL 2026 is culprit for batters scoring 986 runs in a day Inside Sport India.

Hence then, the article about not bowling but horrible fielding standards at ipl 2026 is culprit for batters scoring 986 runs in a day was published today ( Sunday 26/04/2026 - 08:39 AM ) and is available on Inside sport ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.

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