Punjab Kings suffered their first loss of the ongoing Indian Premier League season when Rajasthan Royals outclassed them at Mullanpur on Tuesday, April 28. Captain Shreyas Iyer was quick to point out his side’s ineffective bowling during the chase, especially considering the nature of the pitch.
After Marcus Stoinis’ late blitz lifted PBKS to a competitive 222, Iyer described the surface as sticky and slow. However, the PBKS bowlers failed to take advantage of the conditions and allowed RR to take control of the chase.
PBKS vs RR: MAIN DATA | SCORECARD
“I think 222 was a very good score. It was an exceptional performance, especially on this wicket which was a bit tacky and slow,” Iyer said after the match. “We were behind in execution with the ball.
Acknowledging the match-defining partnership between RR’s Donovan Ferreira and Shubham Dubey, Iyer revealed that the plan was to rely more on slower deliveries and yorkers, but the execution fell short of expectations. RR won the match by six wickets and four balls to spare.
“We were planning to go slow and bowl yorkers. I think we fell short there,” he said. “They also bowled really well. Dubey and Ferreira have built that partnership. This is a format where a lot of players have changed their game. Many now come out and attack from ball one. It’s a big job for bowlers to come up with plans but at the end of the day it’s about execution. Today was just not our day.”
DID PBKS LET IT GO?
PBKS looked in a commanding position during the middle stages after their outstanding performers with the ball tried to put pressure on the RR batsmen in the off-spin pair of Harpreet Brar and veteran Yuzvendra Chahal. Chahal, in particular, briefly changed the momentum in PBKS’s favor by dismantling the middle order to finish with figures of 3/36 in his four overs. Brar, playing his first match of the season, remained economical but wicketless while supporting Chahal from the other end.
The defeat marks PBKS’ first loss of the season after a seven-game unbeaten streak, which also included a no result against Kolkata Knight Riders.
“It’s our first loss of the season and it definitely teaches you a lot,” Iyer added. “It was one of those games where things didn’t go our way. In retrospect, we could have done things differently, but we have to stay positive going forward.”
PBKS will next travel to the Narendra Modi Stadium to take on Gujarat Titans on May 3, while RR will return home to host Delhi Capitals in Jaipur on May 1.
– The end
Published on:
28 Apr 2026 23:51 IST
Tune in
