Punjab Kings' bowling woes? Shreyas, coach split on pace attack concerns after loss to Rajasthan Royals
IPL 2026: Punjab Kings' unbeaten run ended despite posting 222, exposing concerns about their struggling bowling attack. While Shreyas Iyer blamed poor execution, the fast-bowling coach argued conditions were largely responsible and urged patience.
The mighty have finally fallen, and it took another giant to bring them down. Punjab Kings have enjoyed a dream start to their 2026 Indian Premier League campaign, remaining unbeaten through their first seven games until Tuesday night’s defeat to Rajasthan Royals in Mullanpur.
After setting a daunting target of 223 for Rajasthan Royals, thanks to a late blitz from Marcus Stoinis, it looked like another routine win for PBKS. However, RR relied on their own lower middle order and emerged as surprise victors.
PBKS vs RR: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
But was this defeat simply a case of the law of averages catching up with PBKS, or are there more concerning signs beneath the surface? In an era of flat pitches and batting blitzkriegs, bowlers have often become an afterthought. However, captain Shreyas Iyer believes that, given the conditions in Mullanpur, his bowlers fell short in their execution.
PBKS had batted first only once before this season, against Lucknow Super Giants at the same venue. On that occasion, they took an out-of-form LSG batting unit out of the equation by posting a mammoth 254. However, against Sooryavanshi and company, this was always likely to be more challenging, especially considering Punjab’s poor bowling numbers this season.
“We fell short in our execution with the ball,” said Iyer after the game against RR on April 28. “We had planned to go slow and bowl yorkers. I think we fell short there.”
IS BOWLING THE ISSUE?
Fast-bowling coach James Hopes, however, believes the conditions in Mullanpur were too flat and that it would be unfair to blame the bowlers. He pointed out that the pitch offered some assistance to the spinners, with Yuzvendra Chahal and Harpreet Brar both bowling well in the middle overs.
“Yeah, we’re conceding runs, but I think when we’ve had pitches that suited us, we’ve done just fine,” Hopes said in the post-match press conference. “I’m not saying the wicket doesn’t suit our bowling attack—the wicket is good, but it is flat and the ball is flying around. We had a slightly different look tonight, and our two spinners bowled very well.”
Hopes did acknowledge that there are areas his side needs to tidy up, but maintained that it would be harsh to single out the bowlers given the nature of the modern game. “It’s hard for the fast bowlers if we get suitable conditions and the ball swings, it is going to be just fine.”
PBKS have conceded five totals of over 200 this IPL season, along with one score of 195, across seven completed innings. Only Mumbai Indians have conceded more than their 10.5 runs per over, and no team comes close to PBKS’s 41.72 runs conceded per wicket across their 36 scalps. Their ace fast -bowler Arshdeep Singh has been having his worst season with the ball in IPL, both in terms of economy and average.
Now heading on the road for their next two matches before playing three straight games at their second home in Dharamsala, PBKS will look to treat this as a one-off setback and return to winning ways.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
The mighty have finally fallen, and it took another giant to bring them down. Punjab Kings have enjoyed a dream start to their 2026 Indian Premier League campaign, remaining unbeaten through their first seven games until Tuesday night’s defeat to Rajasthan Royals in Mullanpur.
After setting a daunting target of 223 for Rajasthan Royals, thanks to a late blitz from Marcus Stoinis, it looked like another routine win for PBKS. However, RR relied on their own lower middle order and emerged as surprise victors.
PBKS vs RR: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
But was this defeat simply a case of the law of averages catching up with PBKS, or are there more concerning signs beneath the surface? In an era of flat pitches and batting blitzkriegs, bowlers have often become an afterthought. However, captain Shreyas Iyer believes that, given the conditions in Mullanpur, his bowlers fell short in their execution.
PBKS had batted first only once before this season, against Lucknow Super Giants at the same venue. On that occasion, they took an out-of-form LSG batting unit out of the equation by posting a mammoth 254. However, against Sooryavanshi and company, this was always likely to be more challenging, especially considering Punjab’s poor bowling numbers this season.
“We fell short in our execution with the ball,” said Iyer after the game against RR on April 28. “We had planned to go slow and bowl yorkers. I think we fell short there.”
IS BOWLING THE ISSUE?
Fast-bowling coach James Hopes, however, believes the conditions in Mullanpur were too flat and that it would be unfair to blame the bowlers. He pointed out that the pitch offered some assistance to the spinners, with Yuzvendra Chahal and Harpreet Brar both bowling well in the middle overs.
“Yeah, we’re conceding runs, but I think when we’ve had pitches that suited us, we’ve done just fine,” Hopes said in the post-match press conference. “I’m not saying the wicket doesn’t suit our bowling attack—the wicket is good, but it is flat and the ball is flying around. We had a slightly different look tonight, and our two spinners bowled very well.”
Hopes did acknowledge that there are areas his side needs to tidy up, but maintained that it would be harsh to single out the bowlers given the nature of the modern game. “It’s hard for the fast bowlers if we get suitable conditions and the ball swings, it is going to be just fine.”
PBKS have conceded five totals of over 200 this IPL season, along with one score of 195, across seven completed innings. Only Mumbai Indians have conceded more than their 10.5 runs per over, and no team comes close to PBKS’s 41.72 runs conceded per wicket across their 36 scalps. Their ace fast -bowler Arshdeep Singh has been having his worst season with the ball in IPL, both in terms of economy and average.
Now heading on the road for their next two matches before playing three straight games at their second home in Dharamsala, PBKS will look to treat this as a one-off setback and return to winning ways.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
