DARAMSHALA: Two weeks ago, Punjab Kings were the sort of side opponents didn’t want to meet. They collected six wins from seven matches, the only interruption coming from a washed-out game, and sat comfortably at the summit with a healthy net run-rate and the confidence that usually comes with a near-certain route to the playoffs. Now the mood in the camp is very different. A run of four consecutive defeats has pulled them down to fourth place, with 13 points from 11 outings and a net run-rate of +0.428.
Key takeaways
- Punjab Kings have slipped from top spot after four straight losses, finishing with 13 points from 11 matches.
- The team’s defence in multiple games has faltered, including a 3-wicket defeat to Delhi Capitals in Dharamshala despite scoring 210.
- Punjab have dropped 19 catches this season, the highest total in the competition, and their catch success rate is 71.43%.
- Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was used only in a limited role in Dharamshala, held back for just the fourth time in his IPL career.
- Punjab’s remaining league matches are against Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at home, followed by Lucknow Super Giants away.
How the collapse unfolded
The drop has been sudden, and it has been marked as much by errors as by the opposition’s improvement. Punjab first failed to defend 222 against Rajasthan Royals. That was followed by a batting collapse against Gujarat Titans, where they could only manage 163 and watched as GT chased it down successfully. The slide then continued when they came under pressure from Sunrisers Hyderabad, who posted 235 and set a total Punjab couldn’t overturn. On Monday, the latest sting came in Dharamshala against Delhi Capitals: Punjab reached 210 on a wicket that offered movement, but still lost by three wickets.
Shreyas Iyer calls out fielding and bowling execution
After the defeat, captain Shreyas Iyer was direct in his assessment. He said the team didn’t need to “beat around the bush” and pointed to fielding and bowling as the areas that let them down. In his view, 210 should have been more than enough on that surface because the ball was “seaming” and the pitch also showed variable bounce. He added that, with those conditions, Punjab should have been able to squeeze out wickets by executing the seamers’ lines and lengths more accurately.
Iyer’s diagnosis aligns with the numbers. Fielding has become a major concern for Punjab. They have dropped 19 catches this season, the most by any side in the league. The issue flared again against Delhi Capitals, with two additional missed opportunities in the same match. Across 11 games, their catch conversion rate sits at 71.43%, a figure that is tied for the lowest in the tournament alongside Chennai Super Kings.
Spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule on the response
Spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule also acknowledged the pattern that has emerged over the last stretch. He said Punjab are dropping catches at crucial moments and that the staff will examine those areas to find a way to reverse the trend. He stressed that making major changes to the playing group is not the solution, noting that every individual has had periods where they have performed well in the tournament. The message, he said, is to improve and move forward.
Bahutule also touched on the bowling side of the equation. In Dharamshala, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal—currently the IPL’s leading wicket-taker—was restricted entirely to a very limited presence, appearing for just the fourth time across his 185-match IPL career. Bahutule explained the decision as a tactical call for a seaming track, implying the conditions influenced how Punjab shaped their bowling plan.
Iyer added another layer to the explanation from the captain’s perspective. He suggested that when the ball is swinging and assisting seamers, the team should lean into that advantage and look to take wickets with the seamers alone. However, he felt Punjab couldn’t get the job done because their execution wasn’t sharp enough.
No panic, but urgency for the final three
Even with the momentum turning against them, Bahutule insisted Punjab are not out of the qualification picture. He said the side started well and that while the last four results have been disappointing, they are still in contention. His view was that the focus should be on putting the recent setbacks behind them and concentrating on the next three matches with maximum effort.
He also framed the situation as part of the natural swings of a long tournament. Punjab, he said, must stay composed, learn from what has gone wrong, and carry those lessons into the upcoming challenges.
Punjab captain Iyer echoed that sentiment too, adding that supporters and players alike may feel disappointed, but overthinking and excessive analysis won’t change the immediate reality. Instead, the team needs to take positives from its strengths, absorb the lessons from the losses, and approach the next challenge with clarity.
With qualification now requiring a sharp finish, Punjab’s remaining schedule is clear: they face Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at home in Dharamshala, before taking on Lucknow Super Giants away.
