Punjab Kings spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule admitted his side failed to execute in the death overs and paid the price for dropped catches as Delhi Capitals pulled off a record chase in Match 55 of IPL 2026 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala.
DC chased down 211 with three wickets in hand, keeping their playoff hopes alive in a high-pressure finish.
Despite reducing Delhi to 14/2 and later 38/3, PBKS lost control of the game in the final phase. Captain Axar Patel (56) and David Miller (51) rebuilt the innings, before Madhav Tiwari’s quickfire 18 off 8 balls sealed the chase at 216/7.
Reflecting on the defeat, Bahutule said PBKS had the match under control but failed to close it out.
“We didn’t execute the skills needed in the last five overs. We almost had the game with us, but we didn’t finish it,” he said after the match.
He added that the team must quickly move on to the remaining fixtures.
PBKS also suffered in the field, with key chances going down, including Tristan Stubbs at long-on and Axar Patel at deep square leg.
Bahutule admitted those moments were decisive:
“If we had taken those catches, it would have been very difficult for them to chase.”
The match also saw a rare IPL occurrence, with neither side using a spinner during an innings as both teams relied entirely on pace on a seaming Dharamshala pitch.
Bahutule explained the call was instinctive based on conditions, which heavily favoured fast bowlers throughout.
PBKS have now lost four consecutive matches and must win at least two of their remaining three games to stay in playoff contention. They next face Mumbai Indians on May 14.