Ishan Kishan poked fun at Shreyas Iyer and the Punjab Kings after Sunrisers Hyderabad top the IPL 2026 points table following the Punjab Kings’ third consecutive defeat of the season.
The Punjab Kings are in the hunt for another playoff spot this season after finishing as the runners-up of the competition last season of the competition. The Punjab Kings, under Shreyas Iyer’s leadership, would be aiming to win their maiden title this season.
The Kings made a promising start to the season with an undefeated streak of seven games into the season. However, ever since then, the Kings have lost three matches in a row, and their fielding woes might be the biggest concern for them.
Ishan Kishan trolls Shreyas Iyer’s PBKS for missed catches
The Punjab Kings were the leading side at the top of the IPL 2026 points table, and despite losses, had the chance to remain at the top if they had managed to clinch victory against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The Kings got the chance to bowl first, which was their biggest strength in the full season. However, while bowling to the Sunrisers, Yuzvendra Chahal bowled exceptionally well in his spell despite the other batters taking runs.
Chahal picked Travis Head’s wicket, but Ishan Kishan top-edged him twice and was dropped on multiple occasions at a single-digit and double-digit score. Heinrich Klaasen was also dropped by Yuzi Chahal’s bowling for just nine runs by the PBKS vice-captain, Shashank Singh. Shahshank has had a nightmare season on the field.
Following the drops, Ishan Kishan scored 55 off just 32 balls and played a monumental role behind SRH’s success, also dismissing Marcus Stoinis with a sharp catch. After the win, Ishan Kishan trolled the Shreyas Iyer-led PBKS side with an Instagram post where he captioned, “Catch me if you can.”
Shubman Gill also poked fun at the Punjab Kings after consecutive defeats in IPL 2026
With Ishan Kishan’s drops turning out to be costly, Prabhsimran Singh also missed a stumping opportunity against Kishan. The two middle-order batters contributed 124 runs for SRH and could have been restricted to single-digit scores had PBKS not spilled those catches.
In their previous game against the Gujarat Titans, the Punjab Kings had struggled with the bat and lost the game after having posted a small target. Gill’s Instagram post then mentioned, “Bas jeetna hai, Aava de.”
The statement means ‘we will win, let them come,’ and it seemed like a poke at Punjab Kings’ former winning streak, which was then interrupted after the two losses in the season.
Punjab Kings lose the No. 1 spot for the first time in IPL 2026
Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy has been praiseworthy; however, not holding onto catches cannot be something that the captain can help you improve. Shreyas himself has been enigmatic on the field, taking some unbelievable grabs this season.
The Kings still have ten matches left in the season, and they can take their points tally even above 20 if they are back on their winning streak. They are still in a very safe position, and two wins can hand them a spot in the playoffs for sure.
However, this is the first time that they have lost the top spot on the points table and will look to bounce back in their next game. Their next four matches include three out-of-form oppositions in the Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, and Lucknow Super Giants.
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