Captain of Punjab Kings Shreyas Iyer Admitted that his team fell short in execution with the ball after suffering their first defeat in IPL 2026, despite Rajasthan Royals. Considering the loss, Iyer felt that the total on board was more than competitive on a difficult level. I thought 224 was a fantastic score on the board. I think it was a phenomenal performance, especially on that wicket, which was a bit tough and slow.” However, the skipper pointed to errors in execution with the ball as the turning point. “And I think we fell a little short in our bowling, execution-wise. We planned to do a lot of slow, pace-off, yorkers. I think we fell a little short there. Shubham Dubey I come in and make those important runs at the end.” Punjab Kings were cruising at one stage, but a brilliant strike from Donovan Ferreira (52* off 26) and Shubham Dubey (31* 12) turned the game around, leaving the chase four balls to spare. Iyer also acknowledged the increasing challenge for bowlers in the modern T20 game. “Look, it’s a format where I feel a lot of players have changed their game and when they come into the field, they bang a ball. So it’s a tough job for the bowlers to come up with a specific plan. But at the end of the day, I think it’s all about execution. If you have a specific plan, when you execute it well, you were out of our triumph today.”“ Despite the setback, Ayer remained calm about the road ahead. “I think it’s important that we stick to the things that we’ve been doing, the routines and processes that we’ve always followed. We had one match, we had to travel and then come and play another game. So I think the body was also a little tired, but that can’t be the reason here. But we have a few days to freshen up, go back to the drawing board and come back strong.“ Calling it a learning experience, the PBKS captain stressed the importance of staying positive. “Well, absolutely. I think it’s our first loss of the season, so it definitely teaches you a lot. And also, we’ve played a lot of games where we’ve chased 200-plus, we’ve defended 200-plus. So it’s one of those games where things didn’t go our way and we had to push it aside. And I feel that in retrospect, a lot of things could have happened, but I just want to stay positive going forward and be optimistic in my outlook.“ He also gave special praise to Harpreet Brar, who impressed on the difficult pitch. “Yes, absolutely. I found the spinners were difficult to score because it had a bit of grip and it was also giving them a bit of turn. Not that much, but a little. But Harpreet Brar, yes, is showing that kind of personality coming into his first game where he is conceding 25 off just four balls. [overs] And proved to be the best bowler of the team. I think the way he kept his perspective and his attitude throughout the game is admirable for him. With Punjab Kings now to play in Dharamsala, Iyer kept his message simple when asked about the new venue: “Nothing, just win,” he said with a smile.
