Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings (PBKS) are going through a nightmare phase in the ongoing IPL 2026, and it is becoming impossible to hide the tension inside the camp now. After another painful defeat, PBKS co-owner Preity Zinta was seen having a serious and long talk with head coach Ricky Ponting. And this moment went viral on social media platforms.
This viral incident happened right after Punjab Kings suffered their fifth consecutive defeat in the ongoing IPL 2026 season. At one time they were on top of the points table with six consecutive wins, but now their chances of reaching the playoffs are slowly fading away.
Preity Zinta and Ricky Ponting were shocked by Punjab Kings’ crushing defeat at the hands of Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026.
Punjab Kings suffered a crushing defeat by six wickets against Mumbai Indians in their crucial IPL 2026 match at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala on May 14. MI chased down the mammoth target of 201 runs with one ball and six wickets remaining in the final over.
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The biggest difference between PBKS and MI was Tilak Verma. The left-handed batsman handled the pressure perfectly during the chase and played a brilliant unbeaten inning of 75 runs to finish the game in style for the five-time IPL champions in Dharamshala.
Preity Zinta and Ricky Ponting’s long and tense discussion after PBKS collapse goes viral
After the match, Preity Zinta looked stressed and disappointed in the camera. Soon after, TV cameras showed the PBKS co-owner talking to Ricky Ponting at length, as the head coach looked very upset and even had his head down while looking at his shoes.
During their long conversation near the field, both Preeti and Ponting looked quite worried as Punjab Kings’ season continued to go in the wrong direction. Punting himself looked unhappy during Mumbai’s chase.
The Australian legend was seen standing near the boundary outside the dugout for a long time as PBKS struggled badly in the death overs and failed to defend 200 runs.
Preity Zinta completely disappointed in discussion with Ricky Pointing #PBKSvsMI pic.twitter.com/4CWzrN8P3x
– Lomenn (@lomennTea) 14 May 2026
Preity Zinta talking to Ricky Ponting#PBKSvsMI pic.twitter.com/nuSHKw3lEG
-Sumit Singh (@SumitSingh7781) 14 May 2026
Heated conversation between Preity Zinta and Ricky Ponting after PBKS defeat.
Punjab Kings co-owner Preity Zinta and coach Ricky Ponting had a long conversation after another disappointing defeat for PBKS. pic.twitter.com/UkpUGyFuGQ
– Farooq (@uf2151593) 14 May 2026
Punjab Kings’ playoff dream in danger after fifth consecutive defeat in IPL 2026
This latest defeat has now made the race for the IPL 2026 playoffs extremely difficult for Punjab Kings. The team currently has 13 points from 12 matches and cannot make any mistakes in the remaining two matches of the tournament.
PBKS is under immense pressure at the moment as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are still in the race with 12 points from 11 matches. If CSK wins all its remaining matches, Punjab Kings may find themselves out of the top four despite looking strong at the start of the season. Now, they need to win their remaining two games to qualify for the playoffs.
ALSO READ: Shreyas Iyer given notice as Punjab Kings coach faces harsh reality check after IPL 2026 collapse
Shreyas Iyer remains positive as PBKS face do or die situation
Punjab Kings’ remaining two matches are against table toppers Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Dharamshala on May 17 and bottom-placed Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Lucknow on May 23, and they will have to win these games by big margins to stay in IPL 2026.
However, PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer is excited for the big challenge ahead of him. At the post-match presentation, Iyer said, “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 an exciting two games. Can’t wait to play them.”
