Shreyas Iyer called PBKS’ first loss of IPL 2026 a learning experience after their defeat to Rajasthan Royals in Mullanpur.
Punjab Kings’ captain Shreyas Iyer (PC: IANS)
Following their first loss of the season, Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer said the defeat was a “learning experience” and stressed the need to remain positive after their loss to Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League 2026.
PBKS saw their unbeaten run come to an end after RR chased down 223 with six wickets in hand in Mullanpur on Tuesday. Despite the setback, Punjab continue to lead the points table with 13 points, while Rajasthan climbed to third with 12.
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Reflecting on the result, Iyer said: “This is our first loss of the season, so it definitely teaches you a lot. We’ve chased 200-plus and defended 200-plus before. This was just one of those games where things didn’t go our way. We just have to push it aside and stay positive.”
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Put in to bat, PBKS posted a formidable 222/4, powered by explosive half-centuries from Marcus Stoinis (62* off 22) and Prabhsimran Singh (59 off 44), who adapted well to a slightly slow and tacky surface.
However, RR’s chase got off to a flying start, with teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (43 off 16) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (51 off 27) setting the tone early.
The game turned decisively in the death overs, where Donovan Ferreira (52* off 26) and Shubham Dubey (31* off 12) stitched together an unbeaten 77-run stand to seal the chase with four balls to spare.
Iyer admitted that while PBKS had a strong total on the board, their bowling execution fell short. “224 was a brilliant score on this wicket. The batters did exceptionally well, but we fell a bit short in execution with the ball. We had plans, slower balls, yorkers, but we didn’t execute them properly,” he said.
He also credited RR’s middle-order fightback, adding: “They had a tremendous partnership in the middle, especially Ferreira and Dubey coming in and scoring those crucial runs at the end.”
Highlighting the challenges for bowlers in modern T20 cricket, Iyer noted: “Batters are going hard from ball one now. It’s an arduous task for bowlers, but at the end of the day, it’s about execution. Today, it just wasn’t our day.”
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