Dharamshala, May 14 (IANS) Shreyas Iyer described Punjab Kings’ narrow defeat against the Mumbai Indians as “a tough pill to swallow” after his side failed to defend a 200-run total in a thrilling Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 contest at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala on Thursday.

Punjab Kings looked in control after posting 200/8, with Prabhsimran Singh scoring a rapid 57 and Azmatullah Omarzai providing a crucial late push with 38 off just 17 balls. However, the Mumbai Indians chased down the target with one ball remaining, powered by Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 75 and an explosive start from Ryan Rickelton.

The defeat left Punjab disappointed, especially after recovering strongly in the final overs to cross the 200-run mark following a middle-order collapse. “Well, absolutely a tough pill to swallow, but I don’t want to pinpoint any situation over here because it was a great game of cricket. Well fought game,” Shreyas said after the match.

The Punjab skipper reserved special praise for Tilak Varma, whose calm and aggressive approach under pressure turned the chase in Mumbai’s favour. “He played amazingly, he was selecting his shots pretty well, and he manoeuvred the field nicely, so credit to him,” he added.

Punjab were struggling at one stage and appeared set for a total around 170-180 before Omarzai’s late counterattack changed the momentum completely. The Afghan all-rounder smashed four sixes in his quick cameo to lift Punjab to 200.

“Certainly, at a point, we were looking at around 170 to 180, and from there on, he simply changed the momentum towards us. Getting those scoops of sixes, and from 16th or 17th over, from there on, we gained the momentum, and getting to 200 was a commendable performance for him,” Shreyas said.

Despite the loss, the Punjab captain remained optimistic about the team’s chances in the remaining league matches, including the upcoming afternoon clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

“Definitely excited for the next opportunity. It’s an afternoon game, and we’ve got to win two out of two. It’s going to be an exciting two games. Can’t wait to play them,” he added.

Meanwhile, with the fifth consecutive loss, the Punjab Kings (PBKS) are present at fourth position in the points table with 13 points in 12 matches. They will next face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Sunday.

–IANS

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