Last Updated on 14 seconds ago by Charbel Coorey
Incredibly, Punjab Kings (PBKS) have missed out on qualifying for the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs. Last year’s finalists were on course for another strong campaign, winning six of their first seven matches with their only non-victory a washout at Eden Gardens.
Then, once the wheels started to come loose, they fell off pretty quickly. One defeat soon turned into six on the bounce, with poor bowling, fielding and overall discipline hurting PBKS badly as the business end of the season arrived. As a result, they were no longer in control of their own destiny, needing to beat Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and then relying on Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Delhi Capitals (DC) losing on the final day of the league stage.
Shreyas Iyer was at his best to get his team home in Lucknow, but a Jofra Archer-inspired victory for RR at the Wankhede on Sunday sealed PBKS’ fate. Missing out on the top four is a gut-wrenching result for a franchise who had genuine aspirations of a maiden IPL title, with their depth in batting capable of putting any team to the sword. However, their inability to arrest a slide is a common theme, as witnessed during the 2018 season as well, part of a run that includes just one playoffs appearance in the last 12 seasons.
Coach Ricky Ponting was upfront regarding his team’s slide. Before the LSG match, Ponting was clear that PBKS only have themselves to blame.
“We were exceptional for our first seven or six games,” Ponting said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. “Then we had that washout against Kolkata Knight Riders, and I think from that moment on we’ve just been a little bit off and as I said they’re small things. They’re one or two balls or they’re an over here and there that quite conceivably, we could have won another three or four games, but we’ve only got ourselves to blame for that.”
Punjab Kings early-season banter comes back to bite as they miss out on the playoffs
Fans have been quick to point out PBKS’ banter earlier in the season, and how it’s come back to bite.
“Destiny: PBKS’s social media team was mocking KKR after their game was washed out in the early days of the 2026 season, saying they were generous to let a point go. Today, a deficit of one point is what has denied PBKS a playoff spot. Social media antics never pay off, anywhere,” wrote one fan on X (formerly Twitter).
Here are some of the reactions.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans finished in the top two. The winner of Qualifier 1 on Tuesday will feature in Sunday’s Final. Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals will compete in the Eliminator on Wednesday.
