Punjab Kings lost to Delhi Capitals by three wickets, marking their fourth straight defeat in IPL 2026. Despite the loss, PBKS spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule said the team is still in the hunt to qualify for the playoffs.
Punjab Kings suffered their fourth defeat on the trot in the IPL 2026 when they lost the match against Delhi Capitals by three wickets at HPCA Stadium on Monday. Addressing the media in the press conference after the fourth consecutive defeat, PBKS spin bowling coach, Sairaj Bahutule, said, "I think we started off really well and yes we've lost the last four games, but we are still in the hunt to qualify (for playoffs). There are going to be lots of ups and downs, there are going to be times where you've almost won the game, and you lose like today. We had almost had the game with us, but we didn't execute the skills needed in the last five overs. So all we need to do is just keep this aside and move ahead and play the next three games to the best of our ability."
DC's lower order holds nerve in tense chase
Chasing 211, DC recovered from 74/4 thanks to captain Axar Patel's 56 off 33 balls and David Miller's explosive 51 off 28, with the duo adding 64 runs in quick time. Despite late wickets, DC's lower order stayed calm. Ashutosh Sharma smashed a crucial 24 off 10 balls, while Madhav Tiwari remained unbeaten on 18 off eight balls and Auqib Nabi struck 10* off just two balls to seal the chase as DC made 216/7 in 19 overs, keeping DC's playoff hopes alive.
PBKS post competitive total
Earlier, PBKS posted 210/5 after a blazing start from Priyansh Arya (56 off 33) and Prabhsimran Singh. Captain Shreyas Iyer anchored the innings with an unbeaten 59 off 36, while Suryansh Shedge added a quickfire 21*. In the bowling department, Mukesh Kumar (1/31 in 4 overs) and Madhav (2/40 in 4 overs) shone for DC. There was not a single over of spin bowling in the match, as DC played a pace-heavy bowling unit and PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer did not give the bowling to the tournament's leading wicket-taker, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Coach explains all-pace attack
This was only the second occasion when all overs in the match were bowled by pacers in an IPL match. A match between RCB and CSK in 2008, which lasted 39.4 overs, is the IPL match which included more deliveries bowled by pacers. Talking about Chahal's absence from the bowling, Bahutule said, "There was a thought during the timeout but I think the ball was seeming and the conditions were suitable for the fast bowlers so I think the decision was very spontaneous to continue with the fast bowlers and see how we can you know get those wickets and which we did early on but I think one partnership just took it away from us."
'Dropped catches were crucial'
Talking about the areas of concern for PBKS, Bahutule said, "We look into certain phases of our bowling and also the fielding part. Unfortunately, we dropped a few catches again at the crucial time. So that was very important, and I think we will reflect, but again, no time for us to really brood about it."
Impact on points table
The win lifted Delhi Capitals to seventh place in the points table with five wins from 12 matches, while Punjab Kings suffered their fourth consecutive defeat but remained fourth in the standings. (ANI)
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