Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer admitted that while his side enjoyed a \u201cfairytale\u201d start to the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, its recent slump is a worrying sign heading into the business end of the tournament.<\/p>\n
Punjab had emerged as the team to beat with six wins from its first seven matches, but has since suffered three consecutive defeats, including a 33-run loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel we got a fairytale start in the tournament, and everyone was in a great space. If we are going to continue with the same form, that\u2019s not going to help us,\u201d Iyer said at the post-match presentation.<\/p>\n
The Kings endured yet another disappointing outing in the field, with dropped catches and missed stumpings proving costly.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt (the target) was a bit too much because we dropped catches at the start and we could have easily delayed their score by 30 to 40 runs. The wicket kept getting slower. They played comprehensive cricket, and showed us how to win the match.\u201d<\/p>\n
The lone bright spot for Punjab was Cooper Connolly\u2019s unbeaten century in his debut IPL season.<\/p>\n
\u201cConnolly is phenomenal. His mindset is top notch and the character he brings onto the field. It\u2019s something that all players can learn from him. And apart from that, I feel that he\u2019s got a knack of scoring big runs in pressure situations.\u201d<\/p>\n
With the win, Sunrisers Hyderabad moved to the top of the points table, and skipper Pat Cummins was pleased with his side\u2019s all-round performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cPunjab are a really good side. I thought the batters, to get off to what we did, were sensational. No matter what the score is, bowling second against that side was clinical,\u201d Cummins said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re pretty good at playing it at our pace. It\u2019s just trying to max out. It gripped a little bit, which suits our bowlers. We\u2019ve seen it before; we can adjust.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Australian had missed the first few games as he recovered from his back injury and was adjudged the player-of-the-match for his 2\/34 that included the prized wickets of his counterpart Iyer and opener Priyansh Arya.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel really good. Came into this fresh. Not much has worked for any team in the PowerPlay, really. We\u2019ve got lots of options,\u201d Cummins added.<\/p>\n
Published on May 07, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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