In an action-packed tournament like the IPL where matches come thick and fast, teams hardly have time to rest on glory or dwell on defeats.

Hence, it did not come as a surprise when Punjab Kings spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule emphasised that the struggling side should not “brood over” recent losses.

“Obviously, everyone is disappointed, but we cannot overthink and overanalyse. In a couple of days’ time, we will be playing Mumbai Indians here (on Thursday). It is important to take the learnings from this game,” Bahutule said after Delhi Capitals handed PBKS its fourth defeat on the bounce on Monday.

“We will certainly look into phases of our bowling and the fielding part. We almost had the game [in the bag], but we did not execute the skills in the last five overs. If we had taken the two catches, DC may not have reached the target,” he added.

Although nothing seems to be going right for Kings, Bahutule remained positive about Shreyas Iyer and his men turning the corner.

“We are still in the hunt to qualify [for the playoffs]. There are going to be a lot of ups and downs. We have to put these (losses) behind us and move ahead,” said Bahutule.

Madhav was in the ‘zone’

Among those who rubbed salt into the wound was young Capitals all-rounder Madhav Tiwari. The 22-year-old, making his first appearance of the season, crucially struck twice with the ball before acing the chase with an unbeaten eight-ball 18.

“I just tried to control my nerves and do the basics well (while batting). I was in the zone and wanted to win. We (Ashutosh Sharma and him) had a clear understanding of what was needed. The ball was coming onto the bat nicely, and we felt quite comfortable.”

The 211-run pursuit was indeed comfortable in the end.

After displaying an air of invincibility during the first half of its trek to Mount IPL 2026, Punjab Kings has lost its way to a degree. Following three back-to-back defeats, PBKS, presently navigating a rocky road, is on the hunt to get back on the right path.

The current setting — where the play-off challengers are going the extra mile — means that Shreyas Iyer and Co. still have acres to cover in the rest of the journey. Confronting the top-two aspirant next is a beleaguered Delhi Capitals side that has been on a directionless trajectory for a while now.

The picturesque HPCA Stadium, PBKS’ second home, will serve as the battlefield for the clash of the out-of-form northern outfits on Monday (May 10, 2026). With the Dharamshala deck likely to be a haven for the willow-wielders, both sets of batters will be expected to rack up a mountain of runs.

Having been at the peak of their prowess during the seven-game unbeaten streak, ‘PowerPlay’ers Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh are experiencing a blip.

While the high-intent openers will be itching to get back among the runs, they may have to deal with the pedigree of pacers Mitchell Starc and Lungi Ngidi. How Priyansh and Prabhsimran handle the moving ball and well-directed short deliveries could prove vital.

After the travails against Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad, not losing a cluster of wickets in the opening six overs will be high on the batting department’s agenda. But the presence of latest centurion Cooper Connolly and Shreyas must provide it assurance.

For the Capitals, it is about keeping a sliver of playoff hope alive. Down on morale, DC can take some confidence from the assault it launched on the hapless PBKS bowling attack last time around. The Axar Patel-led team would not mind a repeat of that boundary-filled show. It will, however, aim to reverse the result.