India, May 7 -- Punjab Kings looked like the team to beat in the opening half of the season. They remained unbeaten in their first seven games and held the top spot in the points table. The extent of their firepower was best reflected when they chased down a record 265 against the Delhi Capitals last month. But their unbeaten streak has come to a halt since the start of this month, with the side losing three games in a row. While bowling was identified as the major issue, the defeats also exposed a perennial problem that had gone largely unnoticed during the victories.

Punjab have a catch efficiency rate of 73.6 per cent, which is only better than Delhi Capitals (64) this season. They have dropped 15 catches overall, including three on W...