In a long discussion with PBKS head coach Preity Zinta (Image: X)
Punjab Kings saw their playoff hopes take another big hit after their fifth consecutive defeat, with co-owner Preity Zinta and head coach Ricky Ponting engaged in lengthy discussions following the heartbreaking loss.Mumbai Indians (MI) beat Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 6 wickets with just 1 ball to spare in an IPL 2026 thriller at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. Chasing a mammoth target of 201, MI reached 205/4 in 19.5 overs thanks to Tilak Verma’s unbeaten 75. The defeat is Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings’ fifth in a row, severely damaging their playoff qualification hopes.Despite the middle-order collapsing due to Shardul Thakur’s brilliant 4/39 for Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings managed a strong 200 after late fireworks from Prabhasmaran Singh (57 off 32) and Azmatullah Umarzai (38 off 17).In reply, Ryan Rickelton’s brilliant knock of 48 off 23 gave MI a flying start, before Tilak Verma produced a match-winning innings under pressure. Along with a quick-fire cameo from Will Jacks, Tilak guided MI through a tense finish, hitting a six off the last ball of the match to seal a thrilling victory.After the match, PBKS co-owner Preity Zinta and coach Ricky Ponting got into a heated and lengthy discussion. Photos and videos of the meeting went viral. Now, after a 6-wicket loss against Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings (PBKS) are fourth in the IPL 2026 points table with 13 points from 12 matches (6 wins, 5 losses, 1 draw) and a Net Run Rate (NRR) of +0.355. Five consecutive losses have dropped their chances of play-off qualification to 43.8%, meaning their remaining two league fixtures are effectively virtual knockouts. Punjab’s main competition for the fourth spot is from Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR), both of which are closely followed with games to play.
