Punjab Kings’ bowling coach James Hopes said that not creating enough chances allowed Royal Challengers Bengaluru to post an above-par 222 for four during their IPL 2026 match here on Sunday.

“We need to tidy up some areas. Today, once again, I felt like we were always chasing our tail with the ball, not creating enough opportunities early. We controlled the PowerPlay pretty well, but every time we’d get back the momentum, they’d be big over and get back on top,” Hopes said after Kings’ 23-run loss.

Backs under-fire Arshdeep

Hopes also denied suggestions that Arshdeep Singh was not fully committed to the team amid a slew of off-field controversies.

“Arshdeep bowled well in the back half of the tournament. He’s been aggressive. There’s been plays-and-misses [off his bowling]. There’s been catches dropping short of people, some missed opportunities.

“He has been training as much as he’s ever trained, doing everything he normally does. I think if you add maybe four of the drop catches that should have been taken, he’s on a 17-18 wicket season and he’s going well. He fronts up every training session, every game, ready to go. And today was no different. He’s a warrior, Arshdeep,” Hopes said.

“Lockie Ferguson was always going to be the pacer that filled that overseas role. He just hasn’t gotten on in the tournament in the few games he’s played. I know in hindsight it is really easy to sit here and say we shouldn’t have changed anything. Xavier Bartlett was filling his role at the start. He was bowling well at the end. But we just went to the combination that we thought would take us through,” Hopes added.

The IPL 2026 playoffs are just a little over two weeks away, but Punjab Kings appears to be making a fresh start. Given that top-four contender PBKS has hit a roadblock with three successive losses, it may not be a bad thing to do.

Kings fast-bowling coach James Hopes, who described the defeats as “missteps”, backed the Shreyas Iyer-captained side to fire in the ‘new tournament’ within the 19th edition. “It is a little bit of a hiccup,” Hopes said ahead of the fixture against Delhi Capitals.

“Any team which thinks that it can sail all the way without losing a game is kidding itself. For us, the tournament starts now. We are about three weeks of good cricket away from giving ourselves a chance to win the title,” added the Australian.

He, however, insisted that PBKS was not putting itself under pressure by thinking too far ahead. “We have to focus on what is next — the match against Capitals.”

Changes on the cards?

Hopes said that the return of Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai provided the think-tank the option of fielding two specialist spinners in Yuzvendra Chahal and Harpreet Brar.

Omarzai had flown back home and was unavailable for a few matches because of the demise of his mother. “With Omarzai back, we now have the opportunity to switch things up a little bit and still carry our fast-bowling [resources]. It is nice to have a full squad to pick from. As for Harpreet, he performs whenever he gets a game,” Hopes added.

Punjab Kings losing its first match of the IPL 2026 after remaining unbeaten for seven games is a reality check. Still, there’s no doom and gloom in the dressing room, fast-bowling coach James Hopes said after the loss to Rajasthan Royals here at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Stadium on Tuesday (April 28, 2026).

“We’ve been flying, winning games, everyone’s happy, the environment is great. But you’re not going to go through the IPL without losing a game,” Hopes told the media post the six-wicket defeat, defending a 222-run total.