Punjab Kings\u2019 climb in IPL 2026 looked almost unstoppable after they reeled off victories in their first six completed matches. But the momentum has flipped sharply: the franchise has now dropped six straight games, leaving their spot in the playoffs no longer fully controlled by their own results. With their remaining league match set against Lucknow Super Giants, PBKS know they must win at Lucknow and also rely on other results to fall into place. Ahead of the encounter, head coach Ricky Ponting suggested the recent downturn has come down to narrow margins, even as he admitted the team has not been operating at its best.<\/p>\n
Ponting pointed to the point where things began to unravel. \u201cWe were exceptional for our first seven or six games,\u201d he said, before describing how a washout against Kolkata Knight Riders altered the flow. From that moment, he felt PBKS became slightly off the mark\u2014\u201csmall things,\u201d in his words. Those details, he argued, could have swung several outcomes in their favour, potentially turning the recent slide into a very different league standing. \u201cWe\u2019re in the situation that we\u2019re in as a result of not playing at our best over the last few weeks,\u201d Ponting added, while also stressing that the side has a clear understanding of what their best brand of cricket looks like and what they need to execute to win on match day.<\/p>\n
Lucknow, by contrast, arrive with the advantage of low pressure. They have already been eliminated from the playoffs race, which means there is little direct consequence attached to the result beyond franchise pride and personal performances. Still, Ponting believes that freedom can be risky for the opposition, because teams with nothing to lose sometimes play with greater freedom and intent. He also highlighted form coming into the contest, noting that LSG have won three of their last four matches\u2014factors that add urgency for PBKS despite the stakes not being as immediate on Lucknow\u2019s side.<\/p>\n
Ponting\u2019s message to his team was clear: go after the game with courage. \u201cI mean they, Lucknow, going into tomorrow, apart from probably personal pride and pride for the franchise’s performance, they’ve really got nothing else to lose,\u201d he said. \u201cSo teams can be dangerous in that way.\u201d He said PBKS understand that dynamic and want to respond to it with the right mindset. \u201cThat\u2019s the way that I want my boys to play as well. I want us to be fearless and I want us to be daring,\u201d Ponting continued. He urged the players to press forward rather than be distracted by what could go wrong, insisting the focus should stay on controlling the contest through positive decisions and momentum-building cricket.<\/p>\n
As part of that approach, Ponting added that impact matters\u2014one spell, one partnership, one over at a time. \u201cIt\u2019s really important we focus on the positive things and what you can do as an individual player to make an impact on the game there and then,\u201d he said, underlining that the team must channel pressure into execution rather than hesitation.<\/p>\n
Even with their qualification situation hanging by a thread, PBKS are trying to prevent anxiety from taking root. Ponting said the camp has kept a calm tone, with preparation conducted under a relaxed atmosphere rather than one driven by fear of outcomes. \u201cThe atmospheres remain very positive and very relaxed,\u201d he said. In his view, panic is the worst response a team can have in a scenario like this, because it disrupts routines and decision-making. Instead, he stressed the importance of sticking to what has worked before\u2014both as players and as a coaching group\u2014and ensuring that the build-up to the game stays constructive.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve just got to stick to what you know has worked for you in the past as a player and certainly as a coach and a group of coaches, that\u2019s exactly what we\u2019ve done,\u201d Ponting explained. He said the priority has been to keep the environment upbeat and allow the players to focus on getting ready properly for the match, confident that their preparation can carry them through the pressure of a must-win game.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Punjab Kings\u2019 climb in IPL 2026 looked almost unstoppable after they reeled off victories in their first six completed matches. But the momentum has flipped…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":11583,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL 2026: Ponting on PBKS Collapse, Playoffs Slip","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Ricky Ponting reacts as Punjab Kings\u2019 IPL 2026 form collapses\u2014six straight losses, playoffs slipping away, and a must-win vs Lucknow.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n