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Punjab Kings (PBKS) have suffered their sixth consecutive defeat in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026), making their position in the top four more vulnerable. After the match against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), the PBKS captain claimed that they lost the match due to poor performance in the powerplay while they were chasing the target of 223 runs in 20 overs.
Punjab Kings’ middle-order put up a good fight against the star-studded RCB bowling line-up, but the first few overs of the match became the difference. While RCB batsmen made full use of the powerplay, PBKS suffered continuous setbacks.
PBKS faces repeated setbacks inside powerplay vs RCB
Inside the powerplay, PBKS lost the wickets of openers – Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh and their captain Shreyas Iyer at their home ground, Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala. For just 19 runs in 4 oversth During the second innings, Punjab lost three top-order batsmen, giving RCB an immediate lead in the contest.
Shreyas Iyer tells where he missed the most
“Look, obviously, they started brilliantly and then attacked the bowlers immediately after the power play. I think getting to 222, it was a commendable performance, and we were not able to take that many wickets in the bowling. But yes, I think the match was lost in the power play,” Iyer told broadcasters after the match.
He said, “We were behind by three runs (in the power play) and most of our run scorers were Prab and Priyansh. The start they used to give us in the power play, obviously, we couldn’t get it this time, and I also came in and got out early. Really disappointed, but you know, Shashank and Stoinis and a few others in between also performed admirably. I think we got about 10 runs an over, but Hazlewood’s Missed some great bowling.”
Punjab’s middle order gave a good fight to RCB bowlers.
Batting first, RCB scored 222 runs. Rajat Patidar misses the match; Jitesh Sharma was appointed acting captain. Under Jitesh’s leadership, RCB’s batting unit displayed a team effort, with Venkatesh Iyer scoring unbeaten 73 off 40 balls. During this, Virat Kohli scored a half-century.
In the second innings, Cooper Connolly, Suryansh Shedge, Marcus Stoinis and Shashank Singh scored half-centuries to keep PBKS in the match. The efforts went in vain as RCB won the match by 23 runs. In reply to RCB’s 222 runs, Punjab Kings scored 199 runs for 8 wickets in 20 overs.
“No matter what the results are, I’m always positive. It doesn’t dictate how my personality is, and I always come in with a strong attitude, and I’m not a person who dwells too much in the past. It’s over, it’s gone. Tomorrow again, I’m going to see the sunrise, and there’s always light at the end of the tunnel,” he concluded.
Read More: “Exposed”: Fans troll Shreyas Iyer after PBKS captain gets out for another low score against RCB