'What derailed our campaign was inability to…'- PBKS coach’s honest admission after sixth straight loss

Punjab Kings (PBKS) have turned their full attention to their final league fixture of the IPL 2026 season after suffering a defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the afternoon clash at the HPCA Cricket Stadium in Dharamsala. Despite producing strong phases in the match, PBKS were unable to sustain momentum, with key moments slipping away at crucial stages. The result marked their sixth consecutive defeat, leaving their playoff hopes hanging by a thread and dependent on net run rate calculations and other match outcomes.

With just one league match remaining, Punjab Kings sit on 13 points. While their recent slump has severely impacted their position on the table, a mathematical chance of reaching the playoffs still remains as they head into the final week of the round-robin stage. Fast bowling coach James Hopes pointed to the team’s inability to control key moments as the main reason behind their downfall this season, highlighting how momentum repeatedly slipped from their grasp.

"I think what derailed our campaign was an inability to take control of momentum in games. Every time we looked like doing it, we did something to hurt ourselves or trip ourselves up. T20 is a game where it is very easy to get on winning streaks, and it is very easy to go the other way.

We have had both emotions in this tournament, and now we need a week to regroup the boys," he said. Hopes also defended the team’s selection strategy over the course of the season, explaining that every change in the playing XI was carefully planned with balance and opposition match-ups in mind. "Every change that we have made has been very measured.