Dharamshala, May 17: The Punjab Kings continue to struggle in IPL 2026. On Sunday, they faced a 23-run defeat against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium. This loss marks Punjab’s sixth consecutive defeat, dimming their hopes of reaching the playoffs.
After the match, Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer stated, “They had a great start and attacked our bowlers right after the powerplay. Scoring 222 runs was an excellent performance. We couldn’t take enough wickets, but I believe we lost the match during the powerplay.”
Chasing a target of 223 runs, Punjab Kings lost three wickets for just 19 runs. Iyer commented, “Our main run-scorers, Prabhsimran and Priyansh, usually provide us with a solid start in the powerplay. Unfortunately, we didn’t achieve that this time, and I got out early, which was disappointing. Shashank and Stoinis batted well in the middle overs. We were scoring at nearly 10 runs per over but fell slightly short of the target.”
Iyer praised RCB bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood for their performance.
Punjab Kings’ next and final league match is against LSG. Ahead of this match, Iyer addressed questions about his mindset, saying, “Regardless of the results, I always stay positive. It doesn’t define my character, and I always move forward with a strong attitude. I’m not someone who dwells too much on the past. This match is over; it’s in the past. Tomorrow, I will see the sun rise again.”
This defeat marks Punjab’s sixth consecutive loss in the season, leaving them with 6 wins and 6 losses from 13 matches, totaling 13 points and placing them fourth. Their chances of making the playoffs now depend on the performance of other teams.
In the match, RCB batted first, scoring 222 runs for 4 wickets, while Punjab Kings managed only 199 runs for 8 wickets, losing by 23 runs.
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