IPL 2026 | 'Won't beat around the bush': Shreyas Iyer fumes after Punjab Kings' defeat to Delhi Capitals

NEW DELHI: A win over Delhi Capitals would have taken Punjab Kings to the top of the IPL 2026 points table. However, that was not to be as Punjab Kings slumped to their fourth consecutive defeat of the season, going down by three wickets to Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala.

The frustration and disappointment were clearly visible on Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer’s face during the post-match presentation.

Asked to bat first by Delhi Capitals, Priyansh Arya smashed six sixes during his whirlwind 33-ball 56 before DC pacers adjusted their lengths smartly to restrict Punjab Kings to 210/5.

In reply, aggressive half-centuries from David Miller (51 off 28) and skipper Axar Patel (56 off 30) powered Delhi Capitals to 211/7 in 19 overs - the highest successful chase at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium.

"(Where it went wrong) I won't beat around the bush; I'll just say fielding and bowling again," Iyer said after the match.

"(If he thought 210 was a good score) Absolutely, I feel that it was 30 runs more on this wicket considering how the ball was seaming and there was variable bounce," he said.

"(On bowling Chahal) There was absolutely a thought in my mind, but the way ball was seaming and the way it was helping seamers, I think if we would have executed our line and length precisely, we could have been able to extract wickets, but unfortunately again, we didn't," Iyer added.

Explaining the ideal bowling strategy on the Dharamsala pitch, the PBKS skipper said:

"(On how to bowl here) Still into the surface. I always say that the hard length - short of a hard length - is the best ball, especially when a new batsman is coming in. It's not easy to hit because if you keep repeating those balls, at least one ball gives a chance of mis-hitting and you can get a wicket. We've been short of planning," Iyer said.

The win helped Delhi Capitals move up to seventh place in the IPL 2026 standings. DC have now played 12 matches, winning five and losing seven, with 10 points and a net run rate of -0.993.

Punjab Kings, despite the loss, remain fourth on the table with 13 points from 11 matches, having registered six wins and four defeats, while one match ended without a result. Their net run rate stands at +0.428.

Punjab Kings will next take on Mumbai Indians on May 14.