"We have to find a way." Brad Haddin returned to the phrase in each of his answers after Punjab Kings (PBKS) lost their fifth match in a row in IPL 2026. this one to the already-eliminated Mumbai Indians (MI) in Dharamsala. "We just haven't been able to handle the pressure in the last few defeats," he said even as Mitchell McClenaghan suggested the top-order batters had "lost their way". Abhinav Mukund put the blame squarely on the team's think tank for not finishing Yuzvendra Chahal 's quota of overs when he was on a roll.
"I think the whole tournament is pressure. And this stage where we're at, this is what IPL cricket's about. You've got to be able to handle the big moments. You've got to be able to handle pressure," PBKS assistant coach Haddin said at the press conference after the game. which left PBKS at No. 4 on the points table. Fortunately for them, the run of wins at the start of the tournament means they are still very much in the race for the playoffs. their destiny is in their hands.
"It's important to respond well. There's good signs out of tonight's match. The result's hurting in the change room. We've got to take what we did well out of tonight. And take that over into our preparation. And have a look at what things we can improve on. We've got to find a way to get out of the rut we're in at the moment."
What, specifically, has gone wrong after the electric start to the tournament?
"We just haven't been able to handle the pressure in the last few defeats. We haven't played our best cricket when we need to, which has been disappointing - with the way we started the tournament. where we are now," Haddin said. "The one thing. does come out of it is we've got to find a way to get out of it. There's no hiding that we've got to play better. We've got two games of cricket left [in the league stage]. And we've got to find a way. And now there's no tomorrow. There's no talking about anything else. We have to win our remaining games now. And that's as simple as it is.
"You want to be playing at this end of the tournament. You want to be playing your best cricket now and we have to find a way. We have to find a way now to play our best cricket in the next couple of games to hopefully get the opportunity to play in the finals,. what we've got to do is find a way to play our best cricket in a couple of days' time."
That game is against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the day in Dharamsala. And then the last game to close the league-stage campaign, against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) away next Saturday.
But for the "best cricket" to happen, PBKS must rediscover their big-hitting form. The last time they won a game. against Delhi Capitals (DC) on April 25, they chased down 264 with seven balls in hand. Prabhsimran Singh. Priyansh Arya were giving them great starts, Shreyas Iyer was finishing games off like a king, and Cooper Connolly was making big contributions, which, to be fair, he still is. But since the time they scored 265 against DC. looked like they could have scored 280, the returns haven't been fantastic. And the bowling hasn't been able to bail them out.
"Punjab just look like they've lost their way with the bat, lost their confidence," McClenaghan said on ESPNcricinfo TimeOut. "I don't think it was the surface. I just think it was an a lack of intent from what we've seen previously in the tournament.
It's been a pattern all IPL 2026. When left-hand batters are out in the middle, Chahal is not given the ball. That's the standard wisdom of T20 cricket, true,. we are talking about the top wicket-taker in the history of the IPL. Chahal has been below his best this season, but he is still their lead spinner. In this game, Chahal had figures of 3-0-12-1. But with Tilak Varma. Sherfane Rutherford, both left-hand batters, on strike, Chahal was held back till the 16th, when, almost as if to prove the decision right, he was taken for 20 runs.
"Yes, very much," Abhinav said when asked if Chahal should have bowled his fourth over when Tilak. Rutherford were new at the crease. "That's the reluctance of Punjab. which we've been talking about from the start of the season: the reluctance of bowling Yuzi Chahal to lefties."
On Thursday, PBKS had to sub in Vishnu Vinod for Prabhsimran Singh during their batting innings,. that meant they couldn't bring in a bowler as an impact sub as they normally do.
"They've always had the luxury of playing the extra bowler. Today, they didn't. And they needed to rewire the tactics," Abhinav said. "If a team goes out of their original deployment of overs. they don't know what to do in certain number of overs that they have to use with the bowler. So, let's say they have only five bowlers to contend with, or a different type of bowler who comes in. That's the case with Punjab Kings. You've got Lockie Ferguson who's played a game, then [Xavier] Bartlett, then you got [Ben] Dwarshuis. Everyone's coming with different strengths. So teams or captains generally don't know how to use them in a particular phase. And that's where the sixth-bowling option comes good.
"But they've always been reluctant to use Chahal [against left-hand batters]. That was the gamble you had to take then, because Tilak Varma was also struggling against Yuzi but he hit a six of the final over,. that's why spin numbers will look good if you look at it after the six and a couple of runs [in Chahal's last over]. Otherwise, he was a-run-a-ball to Yuzi before that. So why would you not bowl him was the question, and that I think that cost them the game."
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