15 May,2026 06:42 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Sunil Gavaskar (Pic: File Pic)
In the IPL 2026 match against Mumbai Indians (MI), Punjab Kings (PBKS) emerged victorious by six wickets at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala.
Speaking about the loss suffered by PBKS, legendary Team India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar said the Shreyas Iyer-led side should have won the match against the "Paltan". He also said that had Iyer scored runs, it could have made the difference.
"This was a game Punjab Kings should have won after scoring 53 runs in the last three overs to get past 200. At that stage, they had the momentum and looked in control. But their bowling remains a concern. Shreyas Iyer's
failure also hurt because when he scores, Punjab usually gets another 20-30 runs, which could have made the difference. Bartlett has been expensive, and I was surprised he wasn't given the new ball on a helpful pitch," Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
During the match, Punjab's Azmatullah Omarzai accumulated 38 runs in 17 balls, which included two boundaries and four maximums. Later, in the second essay of the game, he also made crucial contributions with the ball, bagging two wickets for 36 runs in four overs.
Reflecting on his performance, Gavaskar said that PBKS should back Omarzai.
"Azmatullah Omarzai was outstanding with both bat and ball, and perhaps Punjab should continue backing him while also considering Marcus Stoinis for added batting depth," said the former cricketer.
Chasing the target of 201 runs, MI scored 205 runs for the loss of four wickets in 19.5 overs.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Ryan Rickelton missed his well-deserved half-century by just two runs. Facing 23 balls, Rickelton scored 48 runs, which were studded with four boundaries and the same number of maximums. Naman Dhir scored nine runs in six balls, including a maximum. Former skipper Rohit Sharma also returned to the pavilion, scoring 25 runs in 26 balls, including two maximums.
Meanwhile, Sherfane Rutherford was dismissed for 20 runs in 21 balls, including a boundary and a maximum.
Later, facing 33 balls, Tilak Varma scored an unbeaten 75 runs with the help of six boundaries and the same number of maximums. Shouldering him was Will Jacks, who scored an unbeaten 25 runs in 10 balls, including two boundaries and two maximums.
Having completed his quota of four overs, Omarzai bagged two wickets by leaking 36 runs. Marco Jansen and Yuzvendra Chahal claimed one wicket each. Arshdeep Singh and Xavier Bartlett went wicketless in the IPL 2026 match.
Earlier, having been put to bat first, PBKS' opening batsman Priyansh Arya scored 22 runs in 17 balls, including four boundaries. Wicketkeeper-batsman Prabhsimran Singh scored a half-century, registering 57 runs off 32 deliveries. His knock was studded with six boundaries and four maximums.
Cooper Connolly accumulated 21 runs in 22 balls, with the help of two boundaries and a maximum. Skipper Shreyas Iyer departed after scoring four runs in two balls, including a boundary.
Later, Suryansh Shedge managed to score eight runs in five balls, including a maximum. Shashank Singh
departed on two runs in three balls. Omarzai garnered 38 runs in 17 balls and smashed two boundaries and four maximums. Marco Jansen was dismissed for two runs in seven balls. Facing eight balls, Impact Player, Vishnu Vinod, scored an unbeaten 15 runs, including a boundary and a maximum. Xavier Bartlett also registered an unbeaten 18 runs in seven balls, with the help of two boundaries and a maximum. With this, the Kings posted a total of 200 runs for the loss of eight wickets in 20 overs against the "Paltan".
Mumbai's Shardul Thakur returned with the figures of four wickets for 39 runs in four overs. Deepak Chahar bagged two wickets by conceding 36 runs in his spell of four overs. Corbin Bosch and Raj Bawa claimed one wicket each. Stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah, Raghu Sharma, and Will Jacks went wicketless in the IPL 2026 match against PBKS.
