IPL 2026: After a prolific start, what has gone wrong for Punjab Kings?
A Series Of Missteps Have Led To Shreyas Iyer’s Men Sliding Down The IPL Table
DHARAMSHALA: Two weeks ago, Punjab Kings looked like the team nobody wanted to face. Six wins in seven matches – the only blemish a washout – had them perched atop the points table, a net run-rate to envy and a swagger that suggested the Playoffs were just a formality. Fast forward to now, and four straight defeats have dragged them to fourth place with 13 points from 11 games with a net run-rate of +0.
428. The slide has been as sudden as it has been sloppy. A failure to defend 222 against Rajasthan Royals, followed by a careless batting display against Gujarat Titans where they scored just 163 and GT chased it down, then crumbling under Sunrisers Hyderabad’s massive score of 235, and now the latest heartbreak: a three-wicket loss to Delhi Capitals in Dharamshala even after scoring 210 on a seaming wicket.
What looked like a procession to Qualifier 1 now demands perfection in the final three games – against Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at home in Dharamshala, then Lucknow Super Giants away. Captain Shreyas Iyer didn’t mince words after the DC defeat. “I wouldn’t have to beat around the bush,” he said.
“I would say fielding and bowling once again let us down. 210 was 30 runs more on this wicket considering how the ball was seaming and there was variable bounce. ” And Iyer is right.