Abhinav suggests Chahal gamble PBKS missed in IPL 2026

Punjab Kings lost a close match after not using leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal despite conditions favoring seamers.

Rare bowling absence for Chahal In their IPL 2026 match against Delhi Capitals, Yuzvendra Chahal bowled zero deliveries, marking only the fourth time in 185 outings he did not deliver a ball. The entire 39 overs in the game were bowled by seamers, a rare occurrence in Twenty20 cricket. Punjab Kings suffered a narrow defeat despite Delhi Capitals slipping to 33 for 3 within the powerplay while chasing 211. ## Captains dilemma with spin options Former India opener Abhinav Mukund pointed out that Shreyas Iyer, the IPL's all-time leading wicket-taker, was not used at all during the chase. The primary reason was the helpful conditions for fast bowlers in Dharamsala. Mukund also noted that the presence of David Miller and Axar Patel batting during the middle overs made it tough for the captain to introduce Chahal early. ## Miller and Axar's middle-order grip Abhinav Mukund emphasized that the ideal window to use Chahal would have been between the 7th and 15th overs. He suggested attempting a single over from Chahal between overs 7 to 10 to apply pressure, even if it meant conceding 18-20 runs. Mukund reasoned that this gamble could have yielded a wicket under mounting scoreboard pressure, with Marcus Stoinis available as a fallback option if the plan failed. ## PBKS bowling choices questioned Punjab Kings opted to bring Marcus Stoinis and uncapped seamer Yash Thakur for the 18th and 19th overs when Delhi needed 38 to win. Both bowlers were hammered by the opposition, leading to their defeat. Mukund called the decision interesting because they did not use Chahal in the powerplay, contrasting with other teams like Rajasthan Royals who have deployed him in death overs. ## Miller's struggles against spin highlighted Mitchell McClenaghan, a former Mumbai Indians and New Zealand pacer, observed that David Miller often appears cautious against spin bowling early in his innings. He suggested that Chahal could have been used when Miller first arrived at the crease, as he sometimes struggles to pick wristspin initially. McClenaghan believed a single over from Chahal might have turned the game by getting Miller out. ## PBKS streak ends with four straight losses Punjab Kings, who had won seven matches in a row to start IPL 2026, have now lost four games consecutively. Despite the slide, they remain in playoff contention with three games remaining. Two of those fixtures are against Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants, who are anchored at the bottom of the table.