Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer acknowledged that the franchise’s “fairytale” start to the 2026 IPL has been followed by a damaging slide, with the run of form now threatening their momentum as the tournament moves toward its crucial stages. After looking like the side to beat—winning six of their opening seven fixtures—Punjab have since lost three straight, most recently going down by 33 runs to Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday. At the post-match presentation, Iyer said the early success had everyone in a positive rhythm, but warned that failing to sustain it will hurt their chances. “I feel we got a fairytale start in the tournament, and everyone was in a great space. If we are going to continue with the same form, that’s not going to help us,” he said.
Key takeaways
- Punjab Kings began the 2026 IPL with six wins in their first seven matches before slipping into a three-game losing streak.
- In Wednesday’s match, Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Punjab by 33 runs.
- Shreyas Iyer pointed to fielding lapses—dropped chances and missed stumpings—as a major reason Punjab fell short.
- Cooper Connolly struck an unbeaten century on his IPL debut season, Punjab’s standout contribution.
- Pat Cummins credited Sunrisers’ all-round show, and was named Player of the Match for figures of 2/34.
Iyer flags fielding errors as the turning point
Beyond the result, Iyer’s comments highlighted how Punjab’s middle overs and closing moments were affected by missed opportunities in the field. He suggested that the chase became difficult primarily because early chances went to waste, allowing Sunrisers to build more control and momentum than Punjab could afford. “It (the target) was a bit too much because we dropped catches at the start, and we could have easily delayed their score by 30 to 40 runs. The wicket kept getting slower. They played comprehensive cricket and showed us how to win the match,” Iyer said.
Connolly’s debut-bright spot and Sunrisers’ rise
Despite Punjab’s overall struggles, Cooper Connolly provided a major spark with an unbeaten century in his debut IPL season. Iyer praised the batter’s temperament and approach, calling him exceptional in how he handles pressure and impacts games. “Connolly is phenomenal. His mindset is top-notch and the character he brings onto the field—it’s something that all players can learn from him. Apart from that, I feel that he’s got a knack for scoring big runs in pressure situations,” the skipper added.
With the win, Sunrisers Hyderabad moved to the top of the points table. Pat Cummins, speaking after the match, expressed satisfaction with how his team executed both with the bat and the ball, especially while defending. “Punjab are a really good side. I thought the batters, to get off to what we did, were sensational. No matter what the score is, bowling second against that side was clinical,” Cummins said.
Cummins on adapting to conditions and his Player of the Match
The Sunrisers captain also explained that the key was staying within their own rhythm and making adjustments as the surface changed. “We’re pretty good at playing it at our pace. It’s just about trying to max out. It gripped a little bit, which suits our bowlers. We’ve seen it before; we can adjust,” he said.
Cummins had missed the first few games due to recovery from a back injury. For his impact in the match, he was awarded Player of the Match after taking 2/34, a spell that included the wickets of Shreyas Iyer and opener Priyansh Arya — both valuable scalps in the context of the innings.
Reflecting on his return and performance, the Australian said he felt fresh coming into the contest. “I feel really good. Came into this fresh. Not much has worked for any team in the powerplay, really. We’ve got lots of options,” Cummins concluded.
