Punjab Kings had reached 13 points on April 25 and stood merely two wins away from securing a playoff berth for the second consecutive season. That too at only the halfway stage of the Indian Premier League 2026. They were unbeaten in their first seven matches.
Nineteen days later, Punjab are still stuck on 13 points.
A frustrating run of five straight defeats has seen them slip from the top of the table to fourth, and the toll was seemingly visible on captain Shreyas Iyer when he almost reluctantly picked up the microphone for the customary post-match interview after the loss to Mumbai Indians on Thursday at the HPCA Stadium.
The frustration and pain were evident in his eyes, even if Iyer tried hard to mask them and refused to single out any particular reason for the defeat.
“Absolutely a tough pill to swallow, but I don’t want to pinpoint any particular situation over here because it was a great game of cricket. A well-fought game,” he said in a near-broken voice.
PBKS vs MI, IPL 2026: As it happened…
Even if Iyer chose not to say it directly, Punjab’s bowlers once again failed to close out the contest. The hosts were not at their best with the bat, but a late flourish from Azmatullah Omarzai helped them post 200 on the board.
There were moments in the chase when Punjab still looked alive in the contest, but Marco Jansen conceding 22 runs in the 18th over all but sealed their fate before Xavier Bartlett failed to defend 15 runs in the final over.
Instead, Iyer shifted the focus towards Tilak Varma, whose unbeaten 75 he felt proved to be the defining difference between the two sides.
“He played amazingly. He selected his shots really well and manoeuvred the field nicely, so credit to him,” Iyer said.
The defeat has undoubtedly dented Punjab’s hopes of sealing a guaranteed playoff spot, but victories in their remaining two matches can still take them through. Their road now begins with a crucial afternoon clash against the in-form Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Sunday.
“Definitely excited for the next opportunity. It’s an afternoon game, and we’ve got to win two out of two. It’s going to be two exciting games. Can’t wait to play them,” he added.