
Coello se rinde a Chingotto: âSueña con ser nĂșmero uno y, si sigue asĂ, tiene muchas opcionesâ
Arturo Coello elogia a Fede Chingotto y su sueño de ser nĂșmero uno en pĂĄdel.
Punjab Kings have suffered four consecutive defeats after a strong start in IPL 2026, dropping to fourth place with 13 points from 11 matches. Their playoff hopes now hinge on winning their final three games.
DHARAMSHALA: Two weeks ago, Punjab Kings looked like the team nobody wanted to face. Six wins in seven matches â the only blemish a washout â had them perched atop the points table, a net run-rate to envy and a swagger that suggested the Playoffs were just a formality.
Fast forward to now, and four straight defeats have dragged them to fourth place with 13 points from 11 games with a net run-rate of +0.428.
The slide has been as sudden as it has been sloppy. A failure to defend 222 against Rajasthan Royals, followed by a careless batting display against Gujarat Titans where they scored just 163 and GT chased it down, then crumbling under Sunrisers Hyderabadâs massive score of 235, and now the latest heartbreak: a three-wicket loss to Delhi Capitals in Dharamshala even after scoring 210 on a seaming wicket.
What looked like a procession to Qualifier 1 now demands perfection in the final three games â against Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at home in Dharamshala, then Lucknow Super Giants away.
Captain Shreyas Iyer didnât mince words after the DC defeat. âI wouldnât have to beat around the bush,â he said. âI would say fielding and bowling once again let us down. 210 was 30 runs more on this wicket considering how the ball was seaming and there was variable bounce.â
And Iyer is right. Fielding has become Punjabâs recurring nightmare. Theyâve dropped 19 catches this season, the most by any team, including two more against DC on Monday. Across 11 games, their catch success rate sits at a dismal 71.43 percent â the joint-worst with Chennai Super Kings.
Spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule acknowledged the rot after the game against Delhi. âWe are dropping catches at crucial times. We will definitely look into those areas and see how we can just turn it around for ourselves,â he said. âMaking big changes in the side wonât be the answer (to arrest the slide). Everyone has performed well in the tournament at some time or the other. We will get better.â
Bowling, too, has lost its bite. The Dharamshala game saw leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal â IPLâs highest wicket-taker â being held back entirely for just the fourth time in his 185-match IPL career. Bahutule explained it as âa tactical call on a seaming trackâ.
131059339
Iyer, on his part, added: âThe way the ball was seaming and helping seamers, I think if we could have executed our lines and lengths in a precise manner, we could have extracted wickets with the seamers only. But unfortunately, we didnât.â
Bahutule, however, isnât ready to press the panic button yet. âWe started really well and, yes, weâve lost our last four games, but we are still in the hunt to qualify,â he said. âAll we need to do is to just keep these (last four games) aside and move ahead and play the next three games to the best of our ability. Itâs a tournament of ups and downs, and we have to stay focused on the path ahead.â
Punjab Kings' decline is attributed to four straight losses, including failures to defend high scores against Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Punjab Kings currently have 13 points from 11 matches in IPL 2026.
Punjab Kings will face Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Lucknow Super Giants in their final three matches.
Punjab Kings have a net run-rate of +0.428 in IPL 2026.

Arturo Coello elogia a Fede Chingotto y su sueño de ser nĂșmero uno en pĂĄdel.
Countdown to the 2026 World Cup: Meet the Kit Designers!
Liverpool eyeing ÂŁ87m release clause for Bournemouth's Rayan
Red Wings secure a 3-0 victory over IronPigs with strong pitching!
Discover the top 5 most valuable players on LSU football's 2026 roster!
Sunderland's return to the Premier League has been amazing, currently sitting 12th!
See every story in Sports â including breaking news and analysis.
âEverybody is disappointed, but you really canât overthink or over-analyse too many things. âItâs very important to take the learnings from the losses and look at the positives. Weâll look at those strengths and move ahead to the next challenge,â he added.