Punjab Kings’ spin-bowling coach, Sairaj Bahutule, acknowledged his team’s failure to perform well in the final overs and the impact of dropped catches as Delhi Capitals achieved a remarkable chase to stay competitive in the IPL 2026 playoff contention. Despite initially putting pressure on DC by reducing them to 14/2 and later 38/3, PBKS couldn’t seal the victory as Axar Patel’s 56, David Miller’s 51, and Madhav Tiwari’s crucial 18 off eight balls led the visitors to 216/7.
Bahutule reflected on the defeat, admitting that they had control of the game but lost momentum in the crucial death overs. He emphasized the importance of executing skills effectively in such situations to secure victories. The coach urged his team to learn from this experience, move forward, and give their best in the upcoming matches.
PBKS’ fielding errors, including missed catches by Arshdeep Singh and a chance dropped by Axar Patel, proved costly during DC’s comeback. Bahutule expressed regret over these missed opportunities, believing that had they capitalized on those chances, the outcome could have been different, possibly resulting in a win by a significant margin.
The match also witnessed a unique occurrence in IPL history as neither team utilized a spinner throughout the innings, opting for a pace-heavy strategy on a seaming Dharamsala pitch. Bahutule explained that the decision was influenced by the pitch conditions, which consistently favored fast bowlers, leading both captains to rely solely on pace.
With four consecutive losses, the Punjab Kings now face the challenge of winning at least two of their remaining three matches to secure a playoff spot. The team, led by Shreyas Iyer, will confront the Mumbai Indians in their next fixture on May 14.
