Punjab Kings (PBKS) remain on top of the points table but they suffered their second defeat in IPL 2026 against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium on May 4. In this match, the seamers enjoyed more than the spinners.
PBKS, who have experienced batsmen like Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya and captain Shreyas Iyer himself, had a blast against the fast bowling department of Gujarat Titans. The surprising thing is that during the run chase, Iyer did not use the entire 4 overs of Yuzvendra Chahal’s quota, on which questions are being raised.
Shreyas Iyer is considered one of the best captains in IPL history
Former Team India cricketer and now cricket expert and commentator Mohammad Kaif suggests Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings to keep faith in experienced spinner Yuzvendra Chahal in any challenging situation.
Shreyas Iyer is considered one of the best captains in the history of the Indian Premier League for his important stints with Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders and now Punjab Kings. He is known for taking bold decisions to change the momentum of the match.
PBKS had to face defeat against GT
May 4, 2026, was not one of the best days at the office for Iyer. On a challenging pitch, Gujarat Titans crossed the target of 164 runs in 19.5 overs and won the match by 4 wickets. The batting departments of both sides had to work hard to score runs on a track where the fast bowlers were finding form.
Yuzvendra Chahal, one of the best spinners in the league, was allowed to bowl only one over. Chahal gave away 13 runs in that one over and was never called back to bowl another over in the rest of the innings, which left Mohammad Kaif quite surprised.
“I was surprised to see Yuzvendra Chahal, the highest wicket-taker in IPL history, bowl just one over against GT. Remember, he has 228 IPL wickets, 139 of which have come at Flat Chinnaswamy during his 8 years with RCB,” Kaif wrote in his post.
Kaif suggests Shreyas Iyer in place of Yuzvendra Chahal
Fast bowlers like Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, Jason Holder for Gujarat Titans and Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vishak and Marco Jensen for PBKS got important wickets in the match, which clearly shows the dominance of fast bowlers.
Probably due to the nature of the surface. Shreyas Iyer did not want to experiment further with his experienced spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and continued to rely on the seamers. But still giving importance to Yuzvendra Chahal’s experience and wicket-taking ability, Kaif believes that PBKS need to trust him even in challenging conditions.
He further added, “Okay, there was grass on the pitch, but Chahal is a great IPL player; he could find ways to take wickets. Punjab needs to trust him more.”
I was surprised to see that Yuzi Chahal, the highest wicket taker in IPL history, bowled just one over against GT. Remember he has 228 IPL wickets, 139 of which have come on Flat Chinnaswamy during his 8 years with RCB. Ok, there was grass on the pitch but Chahal is a great IPL player…
– Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) 3 May 2026
Despite the defeat, Punjab Kings remain on top of the points table and Shubman Gill’s Gujarat Titans have also kept themselves in the race for the playoffs.
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