The one franchise that has everything to lose at the moment is Punjab and the situation seems very intense within the camp
Published: May 16, 2026 5:23 PM IST
It does not seem to be working out for the Punjab Kings in the 2nd half of the 2026 Indian Premier League season as they have slid to a surprising losing streak which has extended to 5 matches now. After going unbeaten in their opening 6 games, things are slowly starting to fall apart for the 2-time runners-up, who still have good chances of reaching the play-offs.
But in order for that to happen, Punjab will have to win both of their remaining games which will take them to 17 points. Two big margin wins will be even better but it’s easier said than done. Their next match is against reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a replay of last year’s final.
RCB are currently in tremendous form and they look even more dangerous after Virat Kohli scored his 9th IPL century in their most recent victory against the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Even if Punjab manages to beat Bengaluru tomorrow in Dharamshala, they will have to do it all over again in their final league stage match against the Lucknow Super Giants, who dented Chennai Super Kings’ play-offs hopes with a sensational 6-wicket win. The fearlessness is what helped LSG get the better of CSK, who are relying on sheer hope.
The one franchise that has everything to lose at the moment is Punjab and the situation seems very intense within the camp. Team owner Preity Zinta, who is rarely seen interfering in cricketing matters, stepped down to the field to have a chat with head coach Ricky Ponting after the Kings’ most recent defeat against the Mumbai Indians.
During the live broadcast, before the post match presentation began, Preity Zinta was spotted chatting with Ricky Ponting, who looked absolutely drained after his side’s 5th consecutive loss. While the exact conversation cannot be decoded, they must have discussed about the way forward and how can the team turn things around from here.
Shreyas Iyer and co haven’t looked as clinical as they were initially with their bowling, middle-order and fielding departments becoming a major issue. They have dropped the 2nd most catches in this IPL season and some of the losses they have endured this season is because of their poor fielding efforts.
If they are to stage their comeback, then it has to start from tomorrow when they face RCB at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala.
