As Punjab Kings prepare to face Mumbai Indians in a crucial IPL 2026 clash at Dharamsala, former Australian captain Aaron Finch has issued a stark warning: don't underestimate a team with nothing to lose. Despite MI's lowly position on the points table, Finch believes they pose a serious threat to PBKS's playoff ambitions.

"Regardless of where Mumbai Indians are on the ladder, you know they're coming hard at you," Finch said on JioHotstar. "They've got everything to gain by contributing to knocking out a team, and that's what you play for when you get down to this part of the season, when you can't qualify yourself."

But Finch's biggest concern isn't the opposition—it's Punjab's own fielding woes. The numbers tell a sobering story: PBKS have dropped a league-leading 19 catches this season, a statistic that has directly contributed to their recent slide. After an impressive unbeaten run through their first seven games, the Kings have now lost four consecutive matches.

The fielding issues have become a recurring nightmare. All-rounder Shashank Singh alone has put down five catches, accounting for over a quarter of the team's total dropped chances. His latest miss against Sunrisers Hyderabad prompted head coach Ricky Ponting to lament, "It has been a bit of a virus for us. We have put a lot of catches down this season."

Spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutree echoed those concerns, noting that five catches have been spilled in the last two matches alone. "At the crucial time, we are dropping a catch, which unfortunately is breaking the momentum we were getting," Bahutree said. "But we will definitely look into it and see how we can just turn it around for ourselves."

For a team that finished as runners-up last season, these lapses are particularly costly. Finch, a former PBKS player himself, remains hopeful about their playoff chances but delivered a simple, heartfelt plea: "I hope Punjab do qualify for playoffs, because I like the way they go about it. Just start catching well, please!"