46th encounter 2026 IPL The season at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad delivered a high-octane thriller on Sunday, but it did not bode well for what followed. Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer. In a contest that swings like a pendulum, Shubman Gillof Gujarat Titans (GT) He managed to chase down the target of 164 with four wickets and only one ball. As the fans celebrated the last over, the former India stars launched scathing attacks on Iyer’s tactical decisions, marking PBKS’ second successive defeat in the tournament.
Shreyas Iyer under fire from former Indian cricketers after PBKS’ series defeat in IPL 2026
The cricket fraternity led by the legendary opener Virender Sehwag and former KKR prop Manoj Tiwarypointed fingers at Iyer’s bowling spins. The main reason behind the controversy was the underutilization of the veteran leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahalwho was introduced as late as the 14th over and dealt just six deliveries.
Sehwag was blunt in his assessment, saying that Iyer’s reliance on the pace battery backfired when he reached the final hurdle. In the end he chose Iyer with 11 runs to defend Marcus Stoinis instead of a specialist seamstress.
“I think Shreyas Iyer’s calculations were a bit wrong as he should have given the last over to Stoinis. If the last over had been batted by Arshdeep Singh, Xavier Bartlett or Marco Jansen, perhaps PBKS could have won this match as there were 11 runs to defend.” Sehwag stated on Cricbuzz.
Sehwag further emphasized that Chahal should have been used early in the game to neutralize GT’s top order.
“It was Shreyas Iyer’s decision not to bat Chahal and use his main bowlers till the 19th over and hope they get wickets. Even Iyer felt that this match would not go till the end. Chahal was not used where he should have bowled in the middle. I think it would have been nice if he had been brought into the offense earlier. He could bowl against Butler“, he added.
Manoj Tiwary echoed these sentiments, highlighting the growing trend of captains being hesitant to bat against left-handers.
“There was a mistake. To me, it is completely wrong to blame Shreyas Iyer for this because when Chahal was brought in, he gave away 13 runs. But he made the call to pit him against two left-handers because he could have scored more runs, or not, he should have made that call. But I think you should always go with your experienced bowlers. If he is hit on the first shot, there is no guarantee that he will run again” Tiwari noted.
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PBKS is facing back-to-back losses in the IPL 2026 league stage
The scorecard paints a picture of a missed opportunity for Punjab. Batting first, PBKS struggled after a disastrous start Priyansh Arya and Cooper Connolly set off for the first time. Iyer (19) and Stoinis (40 off 31) tried to rebuild but Suryansh Shedge’s an explosive 57 off 29 balls pushed them to 163/9. Jason Holder Finishing with stellar figures of 4/24, he was GT’s top destroyer.
In response, GT’s pursuit anchored Sai SudharsanHitting 57 from 41 balls. Although Arshdeep Singh (2/24) and Vijay Kumar Vishak (2/31) with PBKS in the hunt, the match went all the way to the finals. Washington Sundar (40* discount 23) and Arshad Khan (8* off 5) kept calm against Stoinis and secured victory for Gujarat with 167/6 in 19.5 overs. This defeat leaves Punjab Kings looking for answers as the playoff race intensifies.
