Yuzvendra Chahal’s usually such a reliable wicket-taker in the middle overs, but lately he does seem a bit off rhythm

Yeah, that really says a lot about both the tactics and the current situation for Chahal. When a bowler of his quality is only getting one over — and that too as late as the 17th — it shows the team’s either unsure about the conditions suiting him, or they’re just not integrating him into their plans as they should. James Hopes' comment — "just struggling to get into the game at the moment" — isn’t so much about Chahal’s ability as it is about his rhythm and the team’s strategy. Leg-spinners usually thrive when they can bowl during the middle overs, apply pressure, and work their variations against batters who are looking to rotate rather than slog. But if he’s only getting one or two overs at odd times, it’s tough for any spinner to find a groove. His current 2 wickets at an average of 83.50 is way below his standards — but it feels more like underuse and mismanagement than a complete form slump. That over against CSK was tight under pressure, which proves the skill’s still there. Hopefully PBKS rethinks his role, especially against a team like KKR, where Chahal's experience could be gold in the middle overs. That really paints the full picture — it’s less about Chahal "losing his edge" and more about PBKS underusing him and their pace-heavy game plan limiting his opportunities. For a bowler who’s the highest wicket-taker in IPL history, that’s pretty surprising, especially given how reliable he was for Rajasthan Royals just a season or two ago. Spending ₹18 crore on him at the auction shows the kind of value they saw in him, but five matches in, only 2 wickets and an economy of 11.13 clearly signals that he’s being underutilized or not given the right conditions to succeed. Leg-spinners, especially someone like Chahal, are most dangerous when they can bowl during the middle overs — stalling partnerships, building pressure, and forcing mistakes — but if you’re using him as a "plug-and-play" option in the 17th over like against CSK, that’s far from ideal. Also, the stat about PBKS’ spinners bowling only 26 overs so far (fewest in the league) shows how little they’ve trusted spin altogether, despite the tournament usually rewarding variety. Hopes seems to know it too — the line "we're going to need him if we want to win the IPL" is pretty telling. If PBKS can give Chahal the ball earlier, especially against KKR — a side he historically performs well against — it could be the confidence boost he’s been missing. And that Quinton de Kock match-up is another reason to get him into the attack earlier rather than holding him back. Chahal's had QdK’s number in the past, and with KKR’s aggressive top order, introducing him around the 5th-7th over could be a real game-changer. Yeah, that’s another huge — and often underrated — part of PBKS’ struggles this season. You can set the best fields, have great bowlers like Chahal, Rabada, or Arshdeep, but if you’re dropping 12 catches in five games, you're pretty much gifting matches away, especially in T20 where momentum swings fast. That missed chance off Abhishek Sharma on 56 turned out to be brutal — he went on to hammer 141 off 55 and made sure SRH cruised home. One catch there and the entire match could’ve looked different. Hopes is right — if PBKS had just taken the basics seriously, their record could easily be 4-1 instead of scraping around the lower half of the table. It’s not just the bowling or the batting under pressure, it’s the fielding that has let them down at key moments. The positive, though, is that fielding is fixable — it just takes sharper focus and better drills rather than tactical overhauls. But confidence plays a part too: once a team starts dropping chances regularly, it almost becomes a mental block. If they can hold their catches in the next couple of games, especially against KKR’s aggressive lineup, it might give both the bowlers and the team the lift they need.