Punjab Kings looked like the team to beat in the first half of the IPL 2026 season. They remained unbeaten in their opening seven matches and sat comfortably at the top of the points table for a major part of the campaign. But just when Punjab appeared to be on the verge of sealing a playoff spot, they stumbled badly. The weaknesses that had remained hidden during their dominant run in the first half suddenly became glaringly obvious, leaving rival teams with clear areas to exploit. What followed was a shocking run of four consecutive defeats.
On Monday, at the picturesque Dharamsala stadium, Punjab Kings posted 210 for five, a total which Shreyas Iyer himself admitted was well above par. Yet Delhi Capitals, despite struggling for the majority of the contest, pulled off a stunning chase to shock the home side. Fifties from Axar Patel and David Miller, along with a handy unbeaten 18 off just eight balls from Madhav Tiwari, helped Delhi become the first team to chase down a 200-plus total at the venue and keep their playoff hopes alive.
PBKS vs DC IPL 2026: As it happened…
The defeat visibly infuriated Iyer, and the PBKS captain chose not to beat around the bush as he blamed bowling, fielding and poor planning for the three-wicket loss in Dharamsala.
“I won’t beat around the bush; I’ll just say fielding and bowling again,” he said in the post-match interaction.
Fielding has remained a perennial issue for Punjab this season, with Arshdeep Singh dropping two catches on Monday, including one of Axar Patel. But bowling has equally contributed to their collapse in the second half of the campaign. PBKS have conceded at 10.41 runs per over this season, better only than the Mumbai Indians (10.44), who were eliminated from the tournament on Sunday.
Iyer also opened up on Punjab’s poor bowling execution. “Still into the surface. I always say that the hard length — short of a hard length — is the best ball, especially when a new batter comes in. It’s not easy to hit because if you keep repeating those deliveries, at least one ball gives a chance of a mis-hit and you can get a wicket. We’ve been short on planning,” he said.