Punjab Kings head coach Shreyas Iyer-led side’s slide continued on Sunday as they suffered their sixth consecutive defeat, leaving them hovering perilously close to the edge of the IPL 2026 playoff picture. Speaking after the loss, fast-bowling coach James Hopes admitted it was “frustrating” to be watching qualification slip further away, even as he insisted there is still a path ahead if the team can reverse course quickly. Royal Challengers Bengaluru proved dominant in the latest instance, beating PBKS by 23 runs and, in the process, becoming the first franchise to secure a spot in the knockout stage.
Hopes’ frustration was plain in his assessment of what went wrong. “Frustrating, to be honest. We are staring it in the face now. There’s still hope, but we need to turn it around. We need to tidy up some areas. I felt, with the ball, we didn’t create enough opportunities early,” he said during the post-match media interaction. He pointed to the way momentum swung during the contest, noting that PBKS often appeared to have set themselves up well, only to lose control at crucial moments.
He explained that while the opening overs were handled relatively well, the advantage kept being surrendered. “We controlled the power play pretty well, but every time we’d get back the momentum, they’d be getting a big over and get back on top. And then in the chase, we sort of got going, but then, yeah, just petered out. We lost too many wickets early,” Hopes added. The pattern, in his view, wasn’t simply about one spell or one phase—it was the inability to keep pressure on once games began to tilt.
Hopes also rejected the idea that off-field distractions played any meaningful role in Punjab’s downturn. “I don’t think any off-field stuff derailed our campaign. What derailed our campaign was our inability to take control of momentum in games. Every time it looked like we were about to do it, we’d do something to hurt ourselves or trip ourselves up,” he said. That emphasis on self-inflicted setbacks underlined a camp that recognises the need for clearer execution, especially when the match momentum begins to shift.
For PBKS, Arshdeep Singh again failed to deliver the kind of impact expected from a frontline pacer in this phase of the tournament. He finished with figures of 4-0-43-1, a return that did little to change the broader narrative of the side struggling to apply decisive pressure. Despite that outing, Hopes defended Arshdeep’s overall contribution across the tournament, suggesting the left-arm quick has often been more effective in the latter part of the league campaign.
“I think, to be honest, Arshdeep bowled well in the back half of the tournament, like, very well. He’s been aggressive. There’s been players and misses,” Hopes said. He also highlighted the fine margins that can decide T20 contests, including chances that don’t always stick when they’re most needed. “There’s been catches dropping short of people, and some missed opportunities. He fronts up every training session, every game, ready to go. And today was no different. He’s a warrior,” he added.
On the other side, Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s bowling group continued to deliver results, with Josh Hazlewood pleased by the rhythm he has found working alongside Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Hazlewood said the pair’s combination has helped them maintain a steady base—taking wickets while also keeping runs under control—something that has become a hallmark of RCB’s campaign.
“He gets wickets every game. He keeps the runs down. I guess it’s just having that different base of knowledge of growing up in India and playing in these conditions, playing against these players a lot of the time,” Hazlewood said. He felt that variety in roles between bowlers still adds up to a more complete picture for the entire attack. “So I guess that’s probably the difference. He’s got a lot of knowledge on the people we’re coming up against, the grounds we’re playing at. Even though we’re different bowlers, it’s still very useful information for not just me, but the whole bowling attack,” he added.
With RCB already assured of a playoff berth with two games remaining, Hazlewood also welcomed the scheduling window that allows the squad to reset before the business end. “Yeah, I guess it’s good to get a hit out on this field. We’re going to come up to similar conditions, maybe not against the same opposition, but it’s great to get a game here before Qualifier 1,” he said.
Looking ahead, Hazlewood said the team will carry forward the lessons from the match while taking advantage of the break between fixtures. “So, yeah, just the things we learned tonight, we’ll take that forward. We’ve got some nice breaks. We’ve got a few days before the Hyderabad game and then a few days again before Q1. So, nice time to freshen up this time of the tournament and, yeah, come back here all guns blazing,” he concluded.
