Punjab Kings’ IPL 2026 campaign is on the verge of collapse after a sixth straight defeat left their playoff hopes hanging by a thread, with bowling coach James Hopes admitting the team can no longer hide from the reality of the situation.
Four defeats in a row have left Punjab Kings struggling to regain momentum after dominating the first half of IPL 2026. Despite the slump, they are still in the race for a playoffs spot, although Monday’s loss to Delhi Capitals made their path more complicated.
Captain Shubman Gill conceded that Gujarat Titans (GT) were unable to make the most of a promising start with the bat and also missed out on finishing strongly in the death overs, as they suffered a three-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their IPL 2026 opener at the PCA New International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on Tuesday.
Jadeja, one of CSK’s longest-serving players with over 250 appearances across 12 seasons, will join RR on a reduced league fee of Rs 14 crore, down from Rs 18 crore.
After opting to bowl first on a true batting surface, PBKS did well to contain RCB to 190/9 in their 20 overs, thanks to disciplined spells from Arshdeep Singh and Kyle Jamieson, who claimed three wickets apiece.
After registering a historic victory over Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 on Sunday, Punjab Kings (PBKS) have secured their spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 finals.
Punjab Kings’ skipper Shreyas Iyer and Mumbai Indians’ captain Hardik Pandya copped penalties after their respective teams maintained slow over-rates during their IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 face-off in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Iyer smashed an unbeaten 87 off just 41 balls to help his side secure a clinical five-wicket win, knocking five-time champions Mumbai Indians out in a high-voltage second qualifier at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday night.
Acknowledging that the recklessness of the batting unit during Thursday’s first qualifier against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) cost them a direct entry to the IPL 2025 final, Punjab Kings fast bowling coach James Hopes is optimistic that the side will bounce back in the second qualifier on Sunday.
For the first time in over a decade, Punjab Kings find themselves within touching distance of the elusive IPL crown. The fairytale continued on Monday, when the Shreyas Iyer-led side defeated Mumbai Indians in Jaipur to seal a place in Qualifier 1.
