Punjab Kings were dealt yet another blow on Thursday (May 14) against the Mumbai Indians as the latter thrashed the former in the IPL 2026 season via a 6-wicket margin. However, there is still hope that PBKS will manage to be involved in the playoffs considering how brilliantly the team has performed right at the start of the season.
Led by Shreyas Iyer, Punjab Kings had managed to give their fans one of the best starts to an IPL season. They had gone unbeaten through six games while the other game remained abandoned. This was among the greatest starts that this franchise had ever enjoyed in an IPL season. Unfortunately for them, the great start did not last long, as Punjab ended up losing five games straight.
PBKS Extend Losing Streak to Five Matches in IPL 2026
PBKS succumbed to a six-wicket loss against MI in the IPL 2026 game at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Thursday, May 14. With the defeat, the Shreyas Iyer-led team secured their fifth consecutive loss in IPL 2026.
Prior to the loss to MI, they had losses against DC, SRH, GT, and RR. It is noteworthy that they were unable to defend 200 once again in Dharamsala following the three-wicket loss to the Capitals this season.
Tough Qualification Scenario for PBKS in IPL 2026
The Punjab-based franchise has six wins in 12 games and is ranked fourth in the points table. They have 13 points, which includes a shared point against KKR due to a rain-interrupted game. With a couple of upcoming fixtures against defending champions RCB and LSG, they can amass a total of 17 points if they win both their matches.
Now, PBKS are at a crossroads, as even if they win two matches, it may not be enough for them to enter the top four ahead of the playoff fixtures. The reason for that being CSK and RR, who are five-time champions and have the same tally of 12 points in 11 matches each, can make it to 18 points maximum. And in this case, they will require favorable outcomes.
RCB and GT Lead the Race as SRH Stay Close Behind
RCB and GT, who top the points table with equal scores of 16 points each after 12 matches each, can finish at a high point score of 20 each. However, SRH is in third position with a tally of 14 points after 12 matches.
Tilak Varma impresses as MI dominates PBKS by 6 wickets in IPL 2026 match
Under the leadership of Tilak Varma, a ruthless batting performance from MI saw them chase 201 against PBKS in an IPL 2026 match. Varma hit an unbeaten 75 off just 33 balls at a brilliant strike rate of 227.27 with the help of six fours and six sixes.
On the other hand, Ryan Rickelton made 48 off 23 balls, while Rohit Sharma and Sherfane Rutherford scored their 20s. Will Jacks contributed an unbeaten knock of 25 off 10 balls that included two fours and two sixes. For Punjab, Azmatullah Omarzai picked up two wickets, conceding 36 runs.
Asked to bat first, PBKS scored 200 for eight. Prabhsimran Singh was the highest run-scorer with 57 off 32 balls. Azmatullah Omarzai, Vishnu Vinod, and Xavier Bartlett managed to score 38 (17), 15* (8) and 18* (7). Four wickets were taken by Shardul Thakur, while Deepak Chahar picked up two.
Shardul Thakur shines in MI’s Victory Over Punjab
Despite Omarzai was the best bowler for Punjab, Shardul Thakur returned with great bowling figures of 4 for 39 for MI, who have already qualified from the IPL playoff race, but Punjab managed to score 200 for 8. Other wicket-takers for MI included Deepak Chahar (2/36), Corbin Bosch (1/42), and Raj Bawa (1/11).
Will Punjab Kings be able to make it to the IPL 2026 playoffs?
Since PBKS lost to the Mumbai team, they have 13 points after 12 matches. They have only two more matches in the league stage: one against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the other against Lucknow Super Giants. If they win both matches, they will get 17 points and still manage to qualify for playoffs.
However, qualification for playoffs this year is far from assured due to the very competitive points table in the middle. But PBKS are still hopeful because of their positive NRR.
Talking about today’s PBKS game, since they were not in playoff contention anymore, the Mumbai Indians beat the Punjab Kings in their IPL match on Thursday by six wickets.
CONCLUSION: PBKS should acquire two victories to reach 17 points.
However, both teams, RCB and GT have games to play, and even if they make 18, PBKS’ NRR is better than both SRH and the chasing pack, which comprises CSK and RR, who can theoretically make only 18 at most in their three remaining games.
Defeating RCB in Dharamsala will be huge, not just for the points gained but also in terms of damaging their momentum.
While analysts are in agreement that 17 points should give them a definite ticket into the playoffs unless everything goes awry (CSK and RR win all three remaining games, and SRH also wins two), PBKS have the upper hand in case of a multi-way tie due to their better NRR even on 16-17 points.
