Punjab Kings' (PBKS) IPL 2026 campaign is in disarray after a three-wicket loss to Delhi Capitals (DC) on Monday (May 11), marking their fourth successive defeat in the tournament. As a result, the Shreyas Iyer-led side slipped from a dominant position to fighting for a top-four spot.
The PBKS think tank faced criticism for not using premier spinner Yuzvendra Chahal against DC, with spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule justifying the all-pace strategy by citing helpful, seaming conditions in Dharamsala.
"Definitely there was a thought (about bowling spinners) during the time-out, but I think the ball was seaming 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 get those wickets, which we did early on. But I think one partnership just took it away from us," Bahutule said in the post-match press conference.
Despite their slump in form, Sairaj Bahutule made it clear that there won’t be any wholesale changes to the playing XI moving forward in the league stage.
"I think the team that has been doing so well, yes, we have lost a few games. We will again reflect on certain areas only. There won't be any major changes, in the sense that everybody has been performing. But we will definitely look into it and see how we can just turn it around for ourselves," he asserted.
Bahutule attributed the failure to defend a formidable target of 211 against DC to poor bowling and missed opportunities on the field.
"Definitely we will look into certain phases of our bowling and also the fielding part. Again, today unfortunately we dropped a few catches again at a crucial time, so that was very important. And I think we will reflect, but again, there is no time for us to really brood about it; we must move ahead. At a crucial time, we are dropping catches, which unfortunately is breaking the momentum that we were getting. Because if we had taken two catches, I don't think they would have reached the target; it would have been very difficult for them and we may have won the game by 20 runs," he remarked.
Punjab Kings will look to return to winning ways when they face Mumbai Indians in Dharamsala on Thursday (May 14).
