IPL 2026: ‘It depends on who you got’- Shaun Pollock drops big take on retire-out debate
Punjab Kings suffered their first IPL 2026 defeat as Rajasthan Royals successfully chased 223. Captain Shreyas Iyer's slow 30 off 27 balls drew criticism, with debate arising over a potential 'retire out' to boost scoring. Despite Marcus Stoinis's rapid 62*, the total proved insufficient as Royals clinched a thrilling victory.
Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer endured a rare off day with the bat as his side slipped to its first defeat of IPL 2026, with Rajasthan Royals pulling off a successful chase of 223 in a high-scoring contest on Tuesday. Coming into the match in strong form, Iyer never quite found his rhythm. He laboured to 30 off 27 deliveries, managing just one boundary and a six, which slowed PBKS during a crucial phase of the innings.
While Marcus Stoinis provided the late fireworks with a blistering unbeaten 62 from only 22 balls, taking the total to 222 for 4, it ultimately proved insufficient. Questions have since been raised around Iyer’s approach, especially with aggressive options like Marco Jansen and Nehal Wadhera waiting in the dugout but not getting an opportunity to bat. The situation has sparked debate over whether Iyer could have considered retiring himself out to accelerate the innings.
Former South Africa pacer Shaun Pollock, however, felt such a move would have depended heavily on the available batting options. “It depends on who you got to come. So, if Stoinis had played two knocks like he played today, and he is still to come, you could consider.
But I don’t think there was anyone down the order who you would think would have been in better form,” Pollock told Cricbuzz. Pollock also pointed to a similar situation from his time in SA20 with Pretoria Capitals. “We had an example in our SA20.