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Punjab Kings seemed like one of the most well-balanced teams in the IPL 2026 tournament after they opened their account with six victories out of seven games. However, since then, the situation for the team has
become difficult. The four successive losses, starting from their 3-wicket defeat by Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala, have once again highlighted the same weaknesses that have been plaguing them throughout. While they are still scoring at a great pace, bad catching, sloppy death bowling, and middle-overs slowdowns during the middle overs have made them lose the game. If Shreyas Iyer’s side wants to revive its playoff push, those three areas need urgent correction.
Fortunately for Punjab Kings, fixing those issues does not seem to be a big problem. They still have a productive batting line-up, Arshdeep Singh is continuing to lead his bowling attack successfully, and players such as Yuzvendra Chahal and Harpreet Brar are also available on the bench.
SHREYAS IYER COOKED PBKS BOWLERS AND FIELDERS: 😭 "I don't want to beat around the bush. I'll just say fielding and bowling. Absolutely. I feel it was 30 runs more on this wicket with the way the ball was seaming and there was variable bounce." pic.twitter.com/EED0lQevOg
— Cricket Central (@CricketCentrl) May 11, 2026
Iyer said after the defeat to Delhi Capitals was visibly disappointed as he said, “I won’t beat around the bush, I’ll just say fielding and bowling again.”
Three things PBKS need to fix to get back on track
Here are the three factors that the Punjab Kings need to be careful about in order to end their losing skid-
1. Fix Catching and Fielding Errors
Fielding has turned out to be PBKS’ most self-inflicted problem. PBKS has the worst catching rate among all IPL 2026 teams, which stands at 71.43 percent, and 16 catches have been missed. Many of those dropped catches came at crucial junctures, allowing opposition teams to forge match-winning partnerships.
What's happening out there? 😲 🎥 Cooper Connolly, Shashank Singh and Lockie Ferguson drop crucial chances 🫣 How costly will these be? 👇 Updates ▶️ https://t.co/8L0gAuxW78#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #SRHvPBKS pic.twitter.com/dgru0kHkir
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 6, 2026
PBKS captain Shashank Singh has accounted for five missed chances, whereas PBKS leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has witnessed several missed chances from his bowling end. Even head coach Ricky Ponting has made no effort to hide his disappointment. PBKS does not require fancy fielding; all they need is to take safe catches. In such a tightly contested competition, fielding improvement can make a difference of 20 to 30 runs.
2. Tighten Death Bowling and Tactical Execution
The bowling department of PBKS has let down its batting department. Its pace attack is currently ranked lowest for economy in the league, with an average of 10.68 per over. PBKS has conceded 200+ runs on seven occasions in 10 matches. In the encounter against Delhi, they were unable to defend 210 runs and gave up 17 wides.
Arshdeep Singh has been a shining beacon, while his supporting bowlers have failed to maintain their lengths consistently. There has also been wastefulness in PBKS’s use of spinners. Chahal, who is the highest wicket-taker in IPL history, and Harpreet Brar are frequently held back even when circumstances are ideal for using them. Smarter use of spin and fewer extras would reduce pressure at the death.
On the charge! 💪 Shubham Dubey and Donovan Ferreira with a couple of massive hits to power #RR 🩷 Updates ▶️ https://t.co/fBbdVnExPZ#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #PBKSvRR | @rajasthanroyals pic.twitter.com/002RZOJokX
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 28, 2026
3. Address Batting Slowdowns in Middle Overs
Even after the loss to CSK in the tournament, PBKS have got one of the most aggressive batting line-ups, but the batting has slowed down when the upper-order fails to click. The top four have averaged 50.17 runs in the initial six matches at an S/R of 186.24. In the subsequent four games, the average has fallen to 36.21.
The problem here is with clusters of wickets and phases of consolidation that stop their momentum. When Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh fail to dominate in the powerplay, they go into a phase of being very careful during the middle overs. PBKS must maintain intent between overs seven and 16, where rotating strike and targeting matchups are just as important as boundary hitting. If they regain that balance, the batting can again set up winning totals.
