Punjab Kings have suffered a sixth consecutive loss in IPL 2026, a run of defeats that has sharply narrowed their playoff pathway. Speaking after yet another disappointing outing, fast-bowling coach James Hopes acknowledged the pressure is now firmly mounting, with the team effectively staring at the prospect of elimination. While he stressed that there is still a chance to recover, he made it clear that Punjab must quickly find ways to turn promising spells into match-winning moments.
Coach James Hopes on the playoff blow and the need for turnaround
Hopes said the team is confronting the reality of its situation, even though mathematically there remains hope. He pointed out that Punjab’s issue has not simply been preparation, but execution during critical phases of games—moments where momentum needs to be seized rather than lost.
“We are staring it in the face now,” Hopes said. “There’s still hope, but we need to turn it around. We need to tidy up some areas.”
In his view, Punjab have often looked like they were gaining control—only for the opposition to swing the match back quickly. He described it as a pattern of chasing momentum rather than building it, and noted that the problem has persisted across different parts of their tournament.
“I felt like every time we got momentum back, they’d have one big over and get back on top. Then in the chase, we got going a little bit, but it petered out. We lost too many wickets early,” he added.
Powerplay control, then a collapse—why momentum hasn’t stuck
Hopes highlighted that Punjab have been able to operate well during the Powerplay at times, yet the gains haven’t been converted into sustained control. He suggested that the swing of the game has come when the team expects the match to tilt in its favour—only for the plan to unravel under pressure.
“At the moment, it’s going to be about instilling that belief back into them. And we’ve been trying. It’s not through lack of training. It’s not through lack of planning,” he said.
He also defended the work being done behind the scenes, saying the players are putting in the right effort in practice and preparing thoughtfully for matches.
“The boys are training well. The boys are planning well. It’s just that we get into moments where we think, ‘Okay, we’ll get the game back our way now,’ and it’s just not happening,” he said.
Bowling assessment: Arshdeep Singh and the role of fielding chances
While discussing the team’s bowling, Hopes placed particular emphasis on Arshdeep Singh’s performances in the back end of the tournament. He insisted that the outcomes have been influenced by chances that haven’t been taken in the field rather than by the bowling being consistently ineffective.
“Arshdeep has bowled very well in the back half of the tournament. There’ve been plays and misses, catches dropping short of fielders and missed opportunities,” Hopes said.
- He argued that moments in the field have swung results as much as the bowling itself.
- He pointed to missed chances—specifically dropped opportunities—during Arshdeep’s spells.
- He suggested that if four dropped catches had been taken, Arshdeep would likely have been on a much higher wicket tally.
“If you add four dropped catches off his bowling, he’s probably sitting on a 17 or 18-wicket season. He fronts up every training session and every game ready to go. He’s a warrior,” Hopes said.
Top-order backing and what Punjab must do next
Hopes also backed Punjab’s top order despite another struggle in a chase that turned steep. He argued that in T20 cricket, even high-performing batting units cannot deliver consistently every match—particularly in a league where risk-taking is often required to chase totals or set demanding targets.
“I don’t think a top order performs every game. Most top orders in this tournament play a high-risk game and sometimes it doesn’t come off,” he said.
Punjab are still technically in contention for the playoffs, but Hopes made it clear they will have to rely on other results alongside their own final league-game performance. He said the team has not taken opportunities in recent weeks and there is no hiding from that reality.
- Punjab remain in the playoff mix but need favourable outcomes from other matches.
- They must also regroup quickly after failing to convert chances over the previous fortnight.
“We haven’t taken our opportunities in the last two weeks and now we’re where we are. There’s no hiding behind it,” he said. “We need to regroup, hope results go our way over the next few days and make sure we’re playing for something next Saturday,” he added.
