Punjab Kings (PBKS) have turned their full attention to their final league fixture of the IPL 2026 season after suffering a defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the afternoon clash at the HPCA Cricket Stadium in Dharamsala. Despite producing strong phases in the match, PBKS were unable to sustain momentum, with key moments slipping away at crucial stages. The result marked their sixth consecutive defeat, leaving their playoff hopes hanging by a thread and dependent on net run rate calculations and other match outcomes. With just one league match remaining, Punjab Kings sit on 13 points. While their recent slump has severely impacted their position on the table, a mathematical chance of reaching the playoffs still remains as they head into the final week of the round-robin stage. Fast bowling coach James Hopes pointed to the team’s inability to control key moments as the main reason behind their downfall this season, highlighting how momentum repeatedly slipped from their grasp. “I think what derailed our campaign was an inability to take control of momentum in games. Every time we looked like doing it, we did something to hurt ourselves or trip ourselves up. T20 is a game where it is very easy to get on winning streaks, and it is very easy to go the other way. We have had both emotions in this tournament, and now we need a week to regroup the boys,” he said. Hopes also defended the team’s selection strategy over the course of the season, explaining that every change in the playing XI was carefully planned with balance and opposition match-ups in mind. “Every change that we have made has been very measured. They have been thought out with the opposition in mind, and thought out with trying to keep our core structure like Arshdeep, Chahal, and our top four, and trying to make changes around them to complement what they do. It just has not worked out in the last few weeks, and that is the way this game goes sometimes,” he said. Despite the disappointing results, Hopes stressed that the training environment and preparation levels remain strong, and that the immediate focus is on restoring confidence before their final outing. “The boys are training well, the boys are planning well. It is just that we get into moments where we get the game back our way, and right now it is just not happening. The boys have got to regroup, stay positive, and they have got to believe. At the moment, it is going to be about just instilling that belief back into them,” he added. Looking ahead to their final league match against Lucknow Super Giants, Hopes admitted that PBKS are now reliant on other results while acknowledging missed opportunities earlier in the season. “We have got ourselves in this position, so we do rely on some other teams. We have not taken the opportunities in the last few weeks to get ourselves assured of a top-four spot, and now we are where we are and there is no hiding behind it. Yes, we could have played better, but now we need to regroup and ensure we are playing to our full potential next Saturday,” he signed off. Punjab Kings will face Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Saturday, May 23, in their final league match of the tournament.
