Shreyas Iyer admitted Punjab Kings were let down by their bowling and fielding after Delhi Capitals pulled off a stunning chase of 211 in a high-scoring IPL 2026 thriller in Dharamsala on Monday.
Despite posting a massive total, PBKS failed to close out the game as Delhi chased down the target in dramatic fashion to register the highest successful IPL chase at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium.
Iyer unhappy with PBKS bowling and fielding
Punjab Kings looked in control after finishing on 210/5, but their bowlers could not defend the total on a pitch that had offered assistance earlier in the innings.
Reflecting on the defeat, Iyer said his side failed in two major areas.
“Don’t have to beat around the bush, but fielding and bowling again,” he said after the match.
The PBKS captain felt his team had enough runs on the board considering the conditions in Dharamsala.
“Absolutely. I feel it was 30 runs more on this wicket, given how the ball was seaming and the variable bounce,” he stated.
Priyansh Arya and Shedge power PBKS past 200
Punjab got off to a flying start thanks to Priyansh Arya, who smashed 56 off just 33 balls and attacked the Delhi bowlers right from the powerplay.
Arya even launched Mitchell Starc for a six over cover-point as PBKS raced to 72 without loss in the first six overs.
Iyer then kept the momentum going in the middle overs before youngster Suryansh Shedge provided the late fireworks. Shedge hammered Starc for multiple boundaries and a huge 100-metre six in the 19th over to push Punjab beyond the 200-run mark.
DC recover from early collapse to seal stunning win
Delhi Capitals were under pressure early in the chase after slipping to 14/2 and later 38/3, but the visitors slowly fought their way back into the contest.
Axar Patel and Tristan Stubbs rebuilt the innings before David Miller changed the game with a counterattacking knock.
IPL debutant Madhav Tiwari also made an instant impact with a fearless cameo of 18 off just eight balls, while Auqib Nabi finished the chase with a towering six.
Iyer explains why Chahal did not bowl
Iyer also revealed that using Yuzvendra Chahal was discussed during the chase, especially with dew making conditions difficult for the seamers.
However, the PBKS skipper believed sticking to the original pace-bowling plans was the better option.
“It was a consideration, but given the way it was seaming, if we had followed our lines and lengths, we might have gotten wickets. But we did not,” he added.
“I always say that hard length or just short of hard length is the best delivery. It’s not easy for a new batter to hit. We fell short of our plan.”
Also Read: GT vs SRH IPL 2026 Match Prediction: Who will become the first team to reach 16 points?
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