6 wins in 7, then 4 straight losses: What actually went wrong for Punjab Kings in IPL 2026?

Punjab Kings (PBKS) began the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 campaign in a strong manner, winning six out of their first seven encounters, including a washed-out result, to achieve a solid net run rate and secure the top spot in the points table. They were clinical with the bat in every single clash, and that overshadowed their weakness in other aspects.  

But suddenly, they faced a massive blow and lost their track to the playoffs with four consecutive defeats, dropping to the fourth position at a net run rate of +0.428. Despite that strong start in the competition, they have yet to confirm their qualification to the playoffs.

Death bowling, dropped catches, toss luck- breaking down every crack in PBKS’s armour

Death bowling has been one of the biggest issues for the Shreyas Iyer-led side in the IPL 2026. They have picked up just 17 wickets in 10 innings of the phase at the most expensive economy rate of 11.71. Their bowling average of 33.18 is also the worst of the ten franchises, having leaked the second-most sixes (36) in the event. 

The dropped catches are one of the key reasons for the franchise’s downfall. Shashank Singh has been under the radar on most of these occasions. During the game against the Lucknow Super Kings (LSG) in Chandigarh, they dropped nearly four catches in the blink of an eye.

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Shashank dropped KL Rahul during the contest against the Delhi Capitals, as the latter went on to smash an unbeaten 152 runs. The toss tuck has also been away from them as they were asked to bat first in three of the last four games.

Were Punjab Kings ever as good as their record suggested?

It’s not a fluke to start a tough event like the IPL with six victories in the first seven encounters. And PBKS were exceptional at the start, especially in the batting department. Their strike rate of 180.67 is the best inside the powerplay (1-6) in this event with 40 sixes, and both the uncapped India players, Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya, have contributed in this aspect. 

Even in the middle overs, they have the second-best strike rate of 159.07 in 10 innings, besides collecting 512 runs in the last five overs of the IPL 2026 at the best strike rate of 200.78. A team, without dominance, can’t achieve this success.

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They have been phenomenal with the bat. Even in the last game against the Capitals in Dharamsala, they were 70/0 in five overs. That meant they got the firing start to put the opposition under pressure, but failed to sustain that. And eventually their poor catching and ground fielding didn’t put pressure on the Axar Patel-led side, who completed the 211-run chase with an over to spare.

Is there still a path to the playoffs- or has the window closed? PBKS qualification scenario 

The playoff path is still open for the runners-up of the previous season. At the moment, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are at the top of the points table with eight wins in 12 games at a net run rate of +1.053, while the Gujarat Titans (GT) are in second place with a NRR of +0.551, including the same number of wins.

The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) is in third place with 14 points. If PBKS beat Mumbai Indians in their next encounter at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala, they can easily move to the third place with a better NRR than the Pat Cummins-led side.

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Irrespective of the quality of all the sides in this edition, Punjab’s last group-stage clash is against the LSG side. The Rishabh Pant-led side is already eliminated from the event and could be an easy target for the Kings.

It’s vital to finish among the top two to get an extra opportunity, and PBKS will know the importance of having lost last year’s first qualifier. They can end among the top two if they win all of their last three clashes. Can they end the four-match losing streak against Mumbai and get back in the playoffs race? Only time will tell.