PBKS next play Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Sunday.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nEarlier in the season, PBKS looked poised to secure a place in the top two, with their strong start putting them on a clear pathway to the business end of the tournament. However, the standings have swung dramatically, and the team that once appeared comfortably positioned is no longer guaranteed even a top-four finish. In the wake of the MI loss, the message from the coaching staff has been direct: focus exclusively on the remaining games and accept there is no room for slip-ups.<\/p>\n
Brad Haddin, speaking to the media in the press conference after the match, acknowledged the disappointment of how the tournament has unfolded so far. He stressed that while there are still two matches left, PBKS cannot afford to treat anything lightly\u2014every performance must come at full intensity because results are now the only thing that matters. His view was that qualification still remains within their control, but only if they deliver at the required level immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve still got two games to go. And the one thing is that destiny is still in our hands. We have to find a way. And now, there\u2019s no tomorrow. There\u2019s no talking about anything else. We have to win our remaining games now. And that\u2019s as simple as it is. We\u2019re as disappointed as you guys with the way we started the tournament and where we are now. We have to find a way now to play our best cricket in the next couple of games to hopefully get the opportunity to play in the finals,\u201d Haddin said.<\/p>\n
Pressure is the IPL\u2019s real test<\/h3>\n
Haddin also addressed the way PBKS have struggled when matches have turned tense. In his assessment, IPL cricket is built around handling high-pressure moments, and responding to those situations is not optional at this stage. He pointed out that the recent defeats have not reflected the team\u2019s best cricket, and called for the players to arrest the slide by showing composure and clarity when it counts most.<\/p>\n
He emphasised that pressure is present throughout the tournament, but becomes even more significant as the league phase reaches its decisive phase. The former Australia batter urged the squad not to overthink outcomes, but instead to stay locked into the process of finding ways to remain competitive in every phase of play.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the whole tournament, it\u2019s pressure the whole time. And especially this stage where we\u2019re at the tournament, this is what IPL cricket is about. You\u2019ve got to be able to handle the big moments, you\u2019ve got to be able to handle pressure. We just haven\u2019t been able to handle the pressure in the last few defeats. We haven\u2019t played our best cricket when we need to, which has been disappointing. You\u2019ve got to not think about the outcome. You\u2019ve got to make sure you find a way to get yourself involved in the game,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Asked about the \u201coutside noise\u201d that has accompanied PBKS\u2019s recent run of results, Haddin said the players are focused on what happens inside the camp. He suggested that social media chatter is not the priority, and that the dressing room environment has been steady despite the difficult stretch.<\/p>\n
On the broader issue of criticism and attention beyond the ground, he framed it as part of being a professional sportsperson. His stance was that players must learn to manage distractions and arrive at the crease or wicket with the right mindset, ready to execute under match conditions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe dressing room has been good. I\u2019m not up with social media, so I don\u2019t know really what the situation is there. But from inside the camp, we\u2019ve just got to find a way to win a cricket game. Whatever the external noise is, that\u2019s part of playing a professional sport. It\u2019s not always just about the field. You\u2019ve got to deal with everything outside it and make sure when you get across that line, you\u2019re in the right headspace to play,\u201d Haddin asserted.<\/p>\n
Punjab Kings will now turn their attention to their next encounter against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Sunday, with both remaining matches holding the same level of urgency. With qualification effectively on a knife-edge, PBKS\u2019s response in the upcoming fixture will define whether their season can still be pulled back from the brink.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Punjab Kings (PBKS) began the IPL 2026 season with a statement of intent, remaining unbeaten in their opening seven matches. But the momentum has completely…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9868,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"PBKS vs MI: Losing Streak Threatens IPL 2026 Playoffs","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"PBKS face a must-win turnaround in IPL 2026 after a five-match slide, with the MI defeat raising pressure on their playoff qualification hopes.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n
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