Former India batter Abhinav Mukund has said Punjab Kings (PBKS) made a clear tactical misstep by not using leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal during the middle overs of their IPL 2026 clash against Delhi Capitals. PBKS, playing at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium on Monday, were unable to protect their total of 210, as Delhi Capitals produced the most successful chase in Dharamsala IPL history—reaching the target with three wickets to spare and six balls left. Mukund singled out PBKS’s decision to go without a single over of spin, despite having Chahal available in the XI.
Key takeaways
- Abhinav Mukund believes PBKS should have brought Yuzvendra Chahal into the attack during the middle overs.
- Delhi Capitals chased down 210 at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala with six balls remaining, winning by three wickets.
- The match marked the highest successful IPL chase in Dharamsala history.
- A major talking point was PBKS not bowling even one over of spin, despite Chahal being in the squad.
- Mukund argued PBKS had a scoreboard cushion to take an early gamble for wickets, even if Chahal was slightly expensive at first.
Mukund questions PBKS’s spin plan
Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out show, Mukund explained that Chahal’s best chance to impact the chase would have been in the overs when the batting side typically looks to rebuild. He pointed specifically to the period when Axar Patel and Tristan Stubbs were stabilising Delhi’s innings, suggesting that this was the most logical stage for PBKS to introduce their leg-spinner.
“You’ve got to bowl him in overs 7 to 15, and in conditions like this, when you’ve got Miller and Axar going, it’s very difficult for a captain to hand him the ball,” Mukund said. He added that if the captain wanted to take that decision while Axar and Stubbs were present, then the seventh over would have been the moment to try it.
Mukund also felt that even the risk of Chahal conceding runs early should not have deterred PBKS. According to him, Punjab were still positioned strongly enough on the scoreboard to allow that kind of uncertainty in exchange for wicket-taking opportunities.
“But then again, I would’ve personally got out at least an over of Chahal to just see what was happening,” he remarked. He further said the pressure on the chasing side would have helped PBKS, allowing them to surrender a small number of runs if it meant creating a wicket-taking opening.
The window for spin and the chase’s turning point
In Mukund’s view, the most suitable period to test spin would be before Delhi’s experienced batters fully took control. He suggested the ideal window was between overs seven and ten, before the finishers could dictate terms.
“So I would’ve done that between overs 7 to 10, and if it didn’t work, you had Stoinis as insurance,” Mukund added, indicating that PBKS still had a late-innings option to fall back on if the gamble failed to deliver immediate rewards.
While PBKS did manage to restrict Delhi early—reducing them to 38/3 within five overs—they could not keep the momentum from shifting. The recovery was driven by Axar Patel, who made 56, and David Miller, who contributed 51, as Delhi gradually closed in on the target.
After that steady rebuild, Delhi ultimately sealed the chase with help from a fearless late burst from debutant Madhav Tiwari. Tiwari struck 18 runs off eight balls to push Delhi across the line, completing the record-setting pursuit of 210 and handing PBKS a three-wicket defeat with six balls still remaining.
