A damp squib. That’s the most apt description of Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. Until the 35th match of the season, Punjab were undefeated, with 13 points after 7 matches. It was the longest an IPL team had gone without facing a defeat. It was remarkable.
Freefall at the end
There were some underlying concerns. But no one questions an IPL team when they haven’t lost a match in 3 weeks. Experts and most fans had pencilled Punjab into the IPL 2026 Playoffs. Less than a month later, Punjab were on a flight home. Similar to their historic run to start the season, they had an epic falloff.
Image Credit: AP Photo via AlamyFrom April 26 to May 22, Punjab didn’t win a match. They lost 6 on the trot. When qualification for the top four was on the line, Punjab finally won a game, ending a season on a somewhat positive note. But it was way too late. The Rajasthan Royals (RR) required 2 wins and managed to come out on top to seal that last spot.
The question after it all happened was, what changed? Why was Punjab undefeated for 7 matches and then couldn’t win? It wasn’t as if there was a mid-season rest that flipped the game. To determine why Punjab’s performance fell off a cliff, one must find out why they were succeeding in the first place.
Punjab Kings results at IPL 2026
PositionWonLostTable PositionFirst 7 matches601stLast 7 matches165thWhy they succeeded at the start
Punjab had the perfect storm to commence the season. Their top four – Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Cooper Connolly, and Shreyas Iyer – were in exceptional form. The biggest surprise was Connolly, who was making his IPL and PBKS debut. Moreover, he was replacing Josh Inglis, who was exceptional in 2025. Fascinatingly, they all fired together.
One also has to realise that Punjab played on great batting tracks and chased in six of their first 7 matches. It was clear that PBKS were a batting-heavy side, much like the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). During this initial phase, Punjab conceded 209, 219, 195, 200, and 264. Yes, they were scoring heaps of runs, but the underlying issue was that their bowling wasn’t doing great. The collective firing of the top four hid this.
Punjab Kings’ top 4 batting stats in IPL 2026
BatterFirst 7 matchesLast 7 matchesPrabhsimran Singh287 runs (AVG: 57.40, SR: 192.61)223 runs (AVG: 31.85, SR: 145.75)Shreyas Iyer279 runs (AVG: 69.75, SR: 186.00)219 runs (AVG: 43.80, SR: 151.03)Priyansh Arya254 runs (AVG: 42.33, SR: 249.01)110 runs (AVG: 15.71, SR: 157.14)Cooper Connolly240 runs (AVG: 48.00, SR: 164.38)251 runs (AVG: 41.83, SR: 161.93)Fatigue, selections, the law of averages, and an unfamiliar home venue were the reasons why everything changed. You see, the longer the IPL runs, the slower and more tired the surfaces become. That’s one aspect, but it isn’t the singular reason. Another fatigue, to players, was also responsible.
Bowler fatigue & combination issues
Marco Jansen and Arshdeep Singh were fresh off a physically and mentally draining T20 World Cup 2026. With bare minimum rest, both came in the IPL season, and it showed. Jansen scored 51 runs at 113.33 in 5 innings and took 9 wickets at 53.66 in 13 matches. As for Arshdeep, he went for 500 runs in the season, becoming the first bowler to go for half-a-ton runs in 3 different editions of the IPL.
Throughout the season, neither looked 100%. Jansen’s pace dropped with each passing game, and he looked jaded. He was even dropped. Arshdeep was managing his body, as per PBKS head of sports science Andrew Leipus. However, the statement was later refuted by the franchise. The bowling never really fired. Yuzvendra Chahal was underbowled, and Xavier Bartlett took just one more wicket than Shashank Singh in 5 extra innings.
Image Credit: AlamyBenching Azmatullah Omarzai wasn’t a great move, especially since Jansen didn’t look at his best. Resting Vijaykumar Vyshak, who wasn’t at his best this season, didn’t work either since he is their best slower ball bowler and bowls in the middle and death phase.
Law of averages kicks in
Barring Connolly, the top four really struggled. Shreyas’ hundred in the last match, by which time Punjab was basically eliminated, flatters his numbers. But Priyansh Arya failed as expected. His high-intent game means he can’t be consistent. The moment he fired early on, you knew more failures would come. Similarly, Prabhsimran’s average and strike rate dipped.
The hurtful home venue change
The last bit is the second home venue. Punjab played 4 matches in Mullanpur and won 3. But they lost all 3 in Dharamshala. It’s a venue they had no idea about, and that’s what it looked like when they played. The surface was the ball seam and had variable bounce. Both go ahead against Punjab’s modus operandi. The venue change hurt them further. They scored 199 or above in every game and lost.
Punjab Kings’ IPL 2026 season review: Fatigue at the heart of Shreyas Iyer & Co.’s last-time engine failure Inside Sport India.
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