Punjab Kings took a major blow in the race for the IPL 2026 playoffs, extending their misery with a sixth straight defeat on Sunday. In Dharamsala, the Shreyas Iyer-led outfit were outplayed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru, losing by 23 runs. Chasing a target of 223, PBKS were restricted to 199/8, despite a standout unbeaten 73 from Venkatesh Iyer. Earlier, Virat Kohli powered RCB with a fast half-century as the visitors built a solid 222/4 in their 20 overs.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s bowlers kept pressure throughout the innings. Rasikh Salam Dar led the way with three wickets, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar struck twice, ensuring Punjab Kings never got fully comfortable during the chase. After the match, PBKS head coach looked visibly frustrated in the dressing room, while skipper Shreyas Iyer was also seen in a serious conversation on the field with co-owner Preity Zinta.
Shreyas Iyer acknowledged that the match turned decisively in the powerplay. He pointed to Bengaluru’s early momentum after a strong start and highlighted that Punjab Kings failed to create enough breakthroughs in the early phase while attempting to chase 223.
“Obviously, they got off to a great start and then started taking on the bowlers right after the powerplay. I think getting to 222 was a commendable performance and we weren’t able to take wickets in the bowling that much, but yeah, I think the match was lost in the powerplay,” Shreyas said after the game.
The PBKS captain also reflected on the chase, especially the early wickets that derailed their progress. He noted how, across the season, Punjab had often received strong starts in the opening overs from Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya, but this time the outcome was different, with his own dismissal coming earlier than expected.
“We were three down and the majority of our run scorers were Prabhsimran and Priyansh. The starts they used to give us in the powerplay, obviously we couldn’t get this time and also me coming in and getting out early. Really disappointed, but commendable performance by Shashank and Stoinis and also a few others in the middle,” he added.
Even with the chase slipping away, Punjab Kings did find some resistance in the middle. Shashank Singh struck a 27-ball 56, while Marcus Stoinis contributed 37 off 25 deliveries. Their efforts, however, were not enough to bridge the gap as PBKS finished on 199 for eight after RCB posted 222 for four.
Despite the defeat, Shreyas Iyer looked ahead with optimism for Punjab Kings’ next fixture against Lucknow Super Giants.
“I’m always positive irrespective of the results. This is over, this is gone. Tomorrow again I’m going to see the sunrise and there’s always light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
