At a glance:
- Punjab Kings are under massive pressure after losing to Mumbai Indians by six wickets in Dharamsala.
- PBKS now have 13 points from 12 matches and must win their final two league games to stay in the IPL 2026 playoff race.
- Piyush Chawla blamed the team’s overseas pacers for the poor performances in recent matches.
Former India spinner Piyush Chawla blames Punjab Kings’ struggling overseas fast bowlers for the team’s poor performance in IPL 2026. They lost by six wickets to Mumbai Indians in Dharamsala on Thursday, May 14, 2026, jeopardizing their playoff hopes. After winning six straight games to open the season, Punjab is again in a challenging situation with 13 points from 12 games.
To remain in the playoff race, the squad must win its final two games. Chawla stated following the game that bowling, particularly the performance of foreign pacers Marco Jansen and Xavier Bartlett, was Punjab’s top worry. Xavier Bartlett and Marco Jansen have both been failing to take wickets while leaking runs. Bartlett was wicketless with 0/55 in 3.5 overs during the encounter against the Mumbai Indians, while Jansen had stats of 1/55 in four overs.
“Punjab Kings are now under tremendous pressure because they’ve reached a stage where they must win their remaining games to stay alive in the tournament. Considering the kind of start they had to the season, very few would have expected them to be in this position. The bowling has become a major concern, especially with their overseas fast bowlers struggling for form and consistency,” Chawla said.
Piyush Chawla highlights Marco Jansen and Xavier Bartlett’s struggles
According to Chawla, Bartlett has struggled following his first stint with the new ball, while Jansen has not appeared to be at his best this season for PBKS. He continued by saying that when overseas pacers are unable to contain runs in the middle and last overs, it becomes challenging to defend large totals.
“Marco Jansen hasn’t looked at his best, while Xavier Bartlett has found it difficult once the new-ball spell is over. When your premier overseas pacers concede heavily across their combined spells, it becomes extremely difficult to control a 200-plus chase,” Chawla added.
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Mark Boucher shares key advice for Punjab Kings
Punjab needed to reset its mentality after a string of close defeats, according to former South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher. Rather than focusing too much on qualification scenarios, the team should play fearlessly in the remaining games.
“Punjab Kings have found themselves in a difficult position after a series of close defeats, especially considering the strong start they had to the season. Sometimes, constantly thinking about the top four and qualification scenarios can add extra pressure, and perhaps stepping away from that mindset could actually help them. If they approach the remaining games with a more fearless attitude and feel like they have nothing to lose, it might free them up mentally,” Boucher said.
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