Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer faced sharp criticism after his bowling side failed to make an impact in their Indian Premier League 2026 clash against the Delhi Capitals on Monday. Punjab’s loss extended their slide to a fourth straight defeat of the campaign, and the most pointed question that followed was about why Yuzvendra Chahal, the team’s specialist spinner, never got a single over. Former India cricketer Dodda Ganesh strongly questioned the call, describing the decision to leave Chahal out of the bowling plans as “foolhardy,” adding that a bowler of Chahal’s quality would have been better placed to force mistakes than the options Punjab leaned on instead.
Chahal remained an unused member of the playing XI throughout the match at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Stadium in Dharamsala. Meanwhile, several of Punjab’s other bowling choices struggled for control, with Marcus Stoinis, Yash Thakur, Ben Dwarshuis and Marco Jansen all going for more than 11 runs per over. Ganesh said it was exceptionally unusual for a spinner to not be called upon in a T20 contest, and he questioned the logic of continuing without Chahal when the match conditions could have offered a different route to wickets. In his view, the matchup itself looked lopsided against Punjab’s preference, arguing that Chahal would have had a stronger opportunity to break the game than the pacers and medium-fast options used instead.
Ganesh went further in his criticism, highlighting that the left-handed batting group should have been a place where Chahal’s skill set could have created discomfort. He questioned why the “champion bowler” was denied even a single over, and suggested that the team’s decision-making effectively turned the contest into a one-dimensional bowling plan. His remarks also reflected the broader frustration that comes when a specialist spinner is carried in the XI but not deployed at all.
The concern was echoed by former India batter Mohammad Kaif, who was also surprised that no spin bowling was used by either team during the match at Dharamshala. Kaif noted that the absence of spin from both Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings was baffling, stressing that in recent seasons spinners have typically enjoyed better economy rates than pacers at this venue since 2023. He added that it was puzzling to see established match-winners like Axar Patel and Yuzi Chahal play without being used with the ball in a T20 match.
When the PBKS captain was asked about the decision to overlook Chahal during the post-match presentation, Iyer acknowledged that the idea of bringing the leg-spinner into the attack had crossed his mind. However, he explained that the ball was seaming and that, based on the conditions, he chose to stick with the pacers. Iyer said he believed the team could have created wicket-taking chances if they had executed their line and length with greater precision, but admitted that they were unable to do so when it mattered.
