Punjab Kings tasted defeat in Dharamshala on Monday, and the setback extended their slide to four successive matches. Yet the bigger talking point for PBKS is how they are using Suryansh Shedge in the XI—because while the batting cameo brought momentum, the overall performance in the field and bowling in the second innings highlighted how costly missed chances can be. Shedge’s latest appearance offered a clear contrast to PBKS’s struggles, and it also reignited the debate over whether he should be sent up the order to maximise his influence.
Hailing from Mumbai, Shedge has quickly turned into one of PBKS’s most compelling stories in IPL 2026. The team’s fielding has often looked like a series of missteps, and against DC it again threatened to undo the good work. Still, Shedge’s batting and the rest of the batting unit—at least for stretches—showed real intent, even as the bowling failed to provide the necessary support. In the end, the most damning factor was the defensive sloppiness and the errors in the field that swung momentum in DC’s favour.
Chasing 211, Delhi Capitals started shakily in the power play, and for a while it looked as if PBKS might finally halt their losing run. In the fifth over, on the third ball, Yuzvendra Chahal took a sharp catch and Sahil Parakh walked back after making 13 from six deliveries. The early breakthrough had DC fans staring at 33/3, and the fear of another collapse felt very real.
But when it seemed like PBKS’s fielding curse might finally break, fortune had a different plan. Axar Patel made 56 and David Miller contributed 51 as they stitched together a partnership that shifted the game’s direction. Ashutosh Sharma then added 24 off 10 balls, striking two fours and two sixes to keep the scoreboard moving. With Madhav Tiwari finishing unbeaten on 18 and Auqib Nabi also not out on 10, DC closed on 216/7 in 19 overs—leaving PBKS to reflect on a chase that slipped away after the early damage.
PBKS’s playoff position under threat
With the league phase entering its most decisive stretch, PBKS can’t afford to keep letting games drift. They sit fourth with 14 points, but their position is no longer secure in the way it once looked. At one stage they were at the top of the table, but now they face a genuine possibility of missing out on the playoffs. They have three matches remaining, against Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Lucknow Super Giants—each one carrying heavy pressure.
The clash with RCB is set to be a stern test, especially as Rajat Patidar’s side currently leads the standings with 14 points as well. RCB are level on points with Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans—who occupy second and third respectively—while net run rate is poised to be the separator. Meanwhile, MI and LSG are languishing in ninth and at the bottom. Chennai Super Kings, in fifth with 12 points, are also still alive in the race, riding a three-match winning streak after a slow start that looked like it might cost them early.
Should Shedge bat above Stoinis and Shashank?
To understand why Shedge’s usage is being questioned, it helps to look at the contrast between PBKS’s innings phases. In the first innings, the top order provided a strong base: Priyansh Arya struck 56 off 33 balls, while captain Shreyas Iyer stayed unbeaten on 59 from 36. Yet the middle overs belonged to the opposition. Marcus Stoinis and Shashank Singh failed to deliver—Stoinis fell for 1 off 2 balls, and Shashank was dismissed for a golden duck.
Shedge walked in when PBKS were 187/5 in 18.2 overs. Mitchell Starc looked dangerous and had a hat-trick opportunity, but Shedge immediately changed the tempo by smashing the hat-trick ball for a maximum. It wasn’t just brute power—it was confidence, especially since facing a pace threat of Starc’s calibre can unsettle even seasoned batters. The approach was aggressive from the outset: after Starc sent down a low full toss, Shedge dispatched it over mid-off for four. Starc then finally found his yorker, and Shedge couldn’t reach it in time. The bowler adjusted again, going round the wicket and sending it short on off stump. Shedge read it early, guided it over deep mid-wicket with ease.
By the time 19 overs were complete, Shedge had already moved to 16 off four balls, and PBKS had also crossed 200, reaching 203/5. In the final over, Shedge and Iyer collected singles to keep the strike rotating. Shedge then opened up properly on the last ball when Ngidi delivered a low full toss; he slammed it into the gap at deep mid-wicket. Starc sprinted across, dived and tried to stop it, but his feet touched the ropes at the same time as the ball went past—resulting in a four. PBKS finished on 210/5, with Shedge’s late burst proving crucial.
He remained unbeaten on 21 off eight balls, hitting two fours and two sixes, and striking at 262.50. The conversation, though, is bigger than one innings. Shedge has appeared in only four matches this season, but he already boasts the second-best strike rate within the PBKS squad. His runs have come at times that matter, not merely in dead phases—arriving when PBKS need someone to take on the bowlers rather than just survive. That pattern was visible earlier as well, when PBKS were in trouble at 36/4 against GT. Shedge came in and instead of playing for safety, he counterattacked with maturity, scoring 57 off 29. Even that nearly flipped the contest, but Washington Sundar’s late assault ensured GT held on in the final over—once again leaving Shedge as the bright spark.
What stands out is not only the entertainment factor, but the composure. Even against a star like Starc, Shedge didn’t look burdened by the situation. He trusted his instincts, and that is precisely why PBKS might need to consider promoting him to No. 5 or No. 6 rather than leaving him to finish from No. 7. In this match, Stoinis batted at No. 5 and Shashank at No. 6, while Shedge slotted in at No. 7—an arrangement that may be limiting the number of balls he gets to change games.
Modern T20 cricket demands more than late accelerations. Shedge’s current role is that of a lower-order spark, and while that helps him make an impact in short bursts, it also reduces the deliveries he faces. For a player striking at such a high rate, fewer balls can feel like wasted opportunity. In today’s format, swashbuckling, confident batters are usually at their most valuable when they bat higher in the order—because teams are set up for matchups, and early authority forces field settings to change. PBKS already carry anchors and consolidators; Shedge fits the profile of someone who can go beyond consolidation and impose pressure.
Even Stoinis, for all his talent, tends to take time to settle before he attacks. Shedge is different: he comes in to swing, but with control rather than chaos. There is clarity in how he targets matchups, and that should be treated as a tactical asset. The message is simple, and it feels like something PBKS head coach Ricky Ponting needs to act on—stop thinking of Shedge as only a luxury finisher and start planning his role as a middle-order weapon.
There’s also the broader IPL reality: teams spend years hunting for Indian finishers who can flip matches at absurd strike rates, and Shedge has the kind of ability that makes opponents uncomfortable. PBKS already have one in their XI, but he is not being utilised in the most impactful way. His rise wasn’t overnight either. Shedge made his name for Mumbai in the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and his explosive batting earned praise—including from Rohit Sharma. That background underlines why PBKS should trust him higher up the order. He is a clean striker of the ball, and he shows composure when the pressure rises—qualities that remain rare.
Of course, promoting him carries risks. As teams collect more data, opposition plans usually become sharper, and novelty can fade. Different teams may choose to bowl him differently, and the role might not always be as effortless. With the exception of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the IPL has shown that the “newness” factor doesn’t last forever. But PBKS can’t afford to think conservatively anymore. They are now in a position where they could miss the playoffs, and last season’s run to the final only adds to the frustration. The expectation was that PBKS had something to prove, yet overthinking and a cautious approach have triggered too many setbacks late in the campaign.
Perhaps that is why Shedge feels like a breath of fresh air in an IPL that is increasingly shaped by planned matchups, rehearsed roles, and predictable patterns. He bats with spontaneity. There’s no hesitation in his game, no excessive calculations—just intent. The clearest message is that he looks to attack from the first ball, not to wait for the script to unfold. For Ponting and for Shreyas Iyer, the next step seems obvious: stop treating Shedge like a last-over option and start believing he can function as a proper middle-order threat.
