Are PBKS being affected by the off-field drama? Haddin reacts after MI loss
Brad Haddin has dismissed suggestions that the Punjab Kings are being rattled by off-field controversy after their defeat to Mumbai Indians. He said the real issue is Punjab's failure under pressure, with two must-win matches left in the playoff race.
Punjab Kings assistant coach Brad Haddin has played down talk that the team is being affected by the off-field noise after their latest loss to Mumbai Indians. PBKS suffered their fifth loss on the bounce and find themselves struggling to hold on to a top-four spot with the rest of the sides breathing down their necks.
PBKS vs MI: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
Off the field, Punjab has been plagued by numerous controversies and chatter about its players. It started with the Yuzvendra Chahal vaping row and was followed by talk targeting the fitness of Prabhsimran Singh. PBKS and owner Preity Zinta called out people for spreading fake stories around the team in the aftermath of it.
The latest was the Arshdeep Singh-Tilak Varma incident, where the pacer was accused of racially insulting the Mumbai batter.
But Haddin doesn't feel this has been an issue for Punjab. Speaking to the media after the loss to Mumbai, the PBKS assistant coach said that the team isn't listening to outside noise and is focused only on ending their losing streak.
Haddin said the online chatter comes with playing a professional sport and players will need to learn to deal with it.
"No, the dressing room’s been good. I’m not really up with social media, so I don’t know the situation there, but inside the camp, we’ve just got to find a way to win a cricket game."
"Whatever the external noise is, that’s part of playing professional sport. It’s not always just about the field — you’ve got to deal with everything outside it and make sure that when you cross that line, you’re in the right headspace to play," said Haddin.
WHAT WENT WRONG WITH PBKS?
Punjab won six out of their first seven games and were sitting right at the top of the IPL points table. It seemed like a spot in the top two was guaranteed for them, but now they need to win their remaining two matches to make into the final four.
Haddin was asked what went wrong with the team in the last few games and his answer was simple. Punjab haven't been able to deal with pressure.
The PBKS assistant coach said that his side will need to dig deep and find a way to snap their losing streak.
"We just haven’t been able to handle the pressure in the last few defeats. We haven’t played our best cricket when we needed to, which has been disappointing."
"We’re as disappointed as you guys with the way we started the tournament and where we are now. But the one thing that comes out of it is that we’ve got to find a way to get out of it. There’s no hiding from the fact that we’ve got to play better."
"There are good things we’re doing and things we need to continue to work on, but the key thing is we’ve got two games left and we have to find a way. There’s no tomorrow now. We have to win our remaining games. It’s as simple as that," said Haddin.
PBKS will take on RCB in their next game at Dharamsala on
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
Punjab Kings assistant coach Brad Haddin has played down talk that the team is being affected by the off-field noise after their latest loss to Mumbai Indians. PBKS suffered their fifth loss on the bounce and find themselves struggling to hold on to a top-four spot with the rest of the sides breathing down their necks.
PBKS vs MI: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
Off the field, Punjab has been plagued by numerous controversies and chatter about its players. It started with the Yuzvendra Chahal vaping row and was followed by talk targeting the fitness of Prabhsimran Singh. PBKS and owner Preity Zinta called out people for spreading fake stories around the team in the aftermath of it.
The latest was the Arshdeep Singh-Tilak Varma incident, where the pacer was accused of racially insulting the Mumbai batter.
But Haddin doesn't feel this has been an issue for Punjab. Speaking to the media after the loss to Mumbai, the PBKS assistant coach said that the team isn't listening to outside noise and is focused only on ending their losing streak.
Haddin said the online chatter comes with playing a professional sport and players will need to learn to deal with it.
"No, the dressing room’s been good. I’m not really up with social media, so I don’t know the situation there, but inside the camp, we’ve just got to find a way to win a cricket game."
"Whatever the external noise is, that’s part of playing professional sport. It’s not always just about the field — you’ve got to deal with everything outside it and make sure that when you cross that line, you’re in the right headspace to play," said Haddin.
WHAT WENT WRONG WITH PBKS?
Punjab won six out of their first seven games and were sitting right at the top of the IPL points table. It seemed like a spot in the top two was guaranteed for them, but now they need to win their remaining two matches to make into the final four.
Haddin was asked what went wrong with the team in the last few games and his answer was simple. Punjab haven't been able to deal with pressure.
The PBKS assistant coach said that his side will need to dig deep and find a way to snap their losing streak.
"We just haven’t been able to handle the pressure in the last few defeats. We haven’t played our best cricket when we needed to, which has been disappointing."
"We’re as disappointed as you guys with the way we started the tournament and where we are now. But the one thing that comes out of it is that we’ve got to find a way to get out of it. There’s no hiding from the fact that we’ve got to play better."
"There are good things we’re doing and things we need to continue to work on, but the key thing is we’ve got two games left and we have to find a way. There’s no tomorrow now. We have to win our remaining games. It’s as simple as that," said Haddin.
PBKS will take on RCB in their next game at Dharamsala on
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
