Punjab Kings began the IPL 2026 season with the kind of form that made them hard to oppose. After winning each of their first seven outings, they spent a long stretch of the league phase sitting at the summit of the points table. However, the momentum that looked like it would carry them straight into the playoffs eventually ran out. Once Punjab’s early dominance faded, the cracks that had been masked during the opening half became impossible to ignore, and the result was a dramatic reversal: four straight defeats.
Punjab’s collapse continues in Dharamsala
- On Monday at the picturesque Dharamsala stadium, Punjab Kings posted 210 for five.
- Shreyas Iyer, the captain of PBKS, admitted that the score was “well above par”.
- Despite struggling for much of the chase, Delhi Capitals pulled off an unexpected run chase to win the match and shock the home side.
- Axar Patel and David Miller contributed half-centuries for DC, setting up the chase.
- Madhav Tiwari finished the job with an unbeaten 18 from only eight balls, helping Delhi become the first team to chase down a 200-plus total at the venue.
- The successful pursuit kept Delhi’s playoff hopes alive.
The loss left Iyer clearly frustrated. In his post-match remarks, he did not soften his assessment, pointing directly at the areas where Punjab fell short in Dharamsala. He said the three-wicket defeat came down to bowling, fielding, and overall planning.
“I won’t beat around the bush; I’ll just say fielding and bowling again,” Iyer said after the match.
Fielding has been a recurring problem for Punjab during IPL 2026, and Monday’s game underlined it. Arshdeep Singh dropped two catches, including one that involved Axar Patel. Yet Punjab’s tumble in the second half has not been only about chances missed in the field—bowling has also played a major role.
This season, PBKS have conceded at 10.41 runs per over, a rate that is only better than the Mumbai Indians (10.44). The Mumbai Indians had already been eliminated from the tournament on Sunday, highlighting how close Punjab’s late-season problems have been to the bottom end of the table in bowling efficiency.
Iyer also addressed Punjab’s execution with the ball, explaining the tactical issues that have cropped up when batters are set at the crease. He said, “Still into the surface. I always say that the hard length — short of a hard length — is the best ball, especially when a new batter comes in. It’s not easy to hit because if you keep repeating those deliveries, at least one ball gives a chance of a mis-hit and you can get a wicket. We’ve been short on planning,” he added.
