Punjab Kings defeated Chennai Super Kings by 18 runs on Tuesday at Mullanpur. Speaking about the loss, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming didn’t hold back and described the season as "frustrating". He also pointed to fielding lapses as the key reason CSK fell short in the high-scoring contest. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Fleming called out CSK’s sloppy fielding, which allowed Punjab opener Priyansh Arya to take the game away. The PBKS opener was dropped twice, once on 6 by Khaleel Ahmed, and again on 73 when Mukesh misjudged a catch at long-off. Priyansh Arya's 103 off 42 balls took the game away from the five-time champions as PBKS reached 219 in their 20 overs. "The game was really lost in the field. I thought we were sloppy in the field and that we just lacked accuracy under pressure at certain times. We were put under pressure by a fine innings [from Arya], but we've got to be better than that in terms of shutting it down. So that's where the game got away from us," he said. 'It's been a frustrating season so far' While their fielding was below par, there were some encouraging signs with the bat. For the first time this season, CSK’s opening pair got through the powerplay without losing a wicket. Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra put on 61 runs in 6.3 overs, providing the platform for the chase. However, the momentum dipped when Rachin was dismissed for 36, followed shortly by captain Ruturaj Gaikwad’s departure for just 1. Also Read: PBKS vs CSK: Glenn Maxwell fined for Code of Conduct breach With the required rate climbing, CSK took a bold call to retire out Conway, who notched up 69 off 49, in favour of Ravindra Jadeja. However, things did not go their way as they fell 18 runs short of the target. "We're 18 runs short in a big run chase, so we can look at three sixes here and there. It's been a frustrating season so far. The catching has been poor, but it was poor from both sides tonight. Whether it was something in the light, I'm not sure, but certainly for us, that was an area of concern," he said. Fleming did, however, highlight the improved performance from the top order as a step in the right direction. "The positives are we batted a bit better. We've had some substance from the top order, which was a bit lacking, so we were able to then construct the chase. We just weren't able to keep the run rate at a good level through the middle, and it was just too much towards the end. But we've been in the game for a lot longer, which is a positive aspect," he said. With just one win in five matches, CSK are in the 9th spot in the points table. They will take on KKR at home on April 11.