After an outstanding start to the season where they remained unbeaten through their opening seven matches, Punjab Kings have suffered a dramatic collapse in form.
JioHotstar in India will stream the IPL 2026 match between Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on its app and website.
Punjab Kings began the season in sensational fashion, staying unbeaten across their first seven matches and looking like one of the strongest sides in the tournament.
Dharamshala has hosted two matches this season so far, with both encounters turning into high-scoring affairs where teams comfortably crossed the 200-run mark.
Defending champions RCB still hold the top spot in the points table with 16 points in 12 matches and a healthy net run rate of +1.053
Punjab Kings assistant coach Brad Haddin admitted that his side has struggled to cope with pressure after it suffered a fifth successive defeat to continue a stunning mid-season slump in the ongoing Indian Premier League. PBKS' latest loss came against Mumbai Indians, who emerged winners by six wickets in a last-ball thriller in the hill town on Thursday night. It was a far cry from the seven-match unbeaten streak that PBKS enjoyed earlier in the season. The latest setback has left PBKS with a must-win scenario in their remaining two games to stay in playoff contention. "We have just not been able to handle pressure in the last few defeats. We have not played our best cricket when we need to, which has been disappointing," Haddin said in the post-match press conference. "We are as disappointed as you guys are with the way we started the tournament and where we are now. There is no hiding that we've got to play better." PBKS appeared to be in control while defending 200 before an .
PBKS currently occupy the fourth spot on the points table with six victories from 12 matches.
The Shreyas Iyer-led side enjoyed a sensational start to the campaign, remaining unbeaten in their opening seven matches, but their momentum has dipped significantly in recent weeks.
JioHotstar in India will stream the IPL 2026 match between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians on its app and website.
Mumbai Indians have already been knocked out of the playoff race following their defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their previous outing.
Suryakumar Yadav will continue leading the side in Hardik Pandya's absence but has struggled for form.
The top two sides earn a major advantage by playing in Qualifier 1, with the winner progressing directly to the final. The losing team gets another opportunity through Qualifier 2.
DC, after starting their season with back-to-back wins, have lost seven of their last nine games and are just one loss away from elimination
RCB, with the win over MI in Raipur, have jumped to the top of the points table
IPL 2026 HIGHLIGHTS: DC, with the win, have jumped to the number seven spot in the points table with 10 points in 12 matches
JioHotstar in India will stream the IPL 2026 match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals on its app and website.
Kuldeep, in the 11 matches he played this season, took only seven wickets at an average of 28.47
Axar Patel-led side will need to secure a win against PBKS at any cost on Monday if they wish to keep their season up and running
Punjab Kings head into the Dharamsala leg under pressure after suffering three consecutive defeats. Check key stats before today's match between Punjab and Delhi in Dharamshala.
Punjab Kings enjoyed an excellent first half of the season and looked like one of the strongest teams in the competition.