Delhi: Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer made a big statement after suffering a four-wicket defeat in a close match against Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. He admitted that despite the challenging start, the batsmen scored a respectable score, but the bowling did not show the expected edge.

Punjab started with a shaky start in the powerplay.

Batting first, Punjab Kings faced setbacks in the beginning.

The team lost five wickets for just 47 runs, due to which it seemed difficult to make a big score. However, after this Suryansh Shedge and Marcus Stoinis took over the innings. There was an important partnership of 79 runs between the two for the sixth wicket, which helped the team reach 163 runs in 20 overs.

Dominance of Gujarat bowlers

The bowlers of Gujarat Titans performed disciplined in the entire match. Jason Holder broke the back of Punjab by taking four wickets, while Kagiso Rabada and Mohammad Siraj also took important wickets.

Sudarshan and Sundar won

Gujarat Titans had a steady start while chasing the target. Sai Sudarshan played an important inning of 57 runs, while Washington Sundar scored unbeaten 40 runs, taking the team to 167 runs in 19.5 overs and ensuring victory.

Iyer admitted deficiency in bowling

After the match, Iyer said that a score around 160 was competitive considering the conditions, but the bowlers failed to bowl in the right areas. He told that the new ball was helping on the pitch, but the team could not fully utilize that advantage.

The mistake in strategy proved costly

Iyer also admitted that the bowlers failed to restrict the batsmen on difficult lines and lengths. According to him, there was uneven bounce on this pitch and it was not easy to play shots over midwicket, but the team could not implement that strategy effectively.

With this defeat, Punjab Kings have suffered disappointment for the second time in the current season, while Gujarat Titans strengthened their position by registering another thrilling win.