As the IPL 2025 playoffs approach, Punjab Kings (PBKS) may have a brewing issue in their bowling department. Their batting line-up consistently exceeds expectations with 200-plus scores, but bowling under pressure remains a concern for the team. This reliance on key players like Arshdeep Singh, Marco Jansen, and Yuzvendra Chahal was exposed on Saturday when PBKS failed to defend a formidable score of 206 against Delhi Capitals (DC), jeopardising their hopes of finishing in the top two. Former PBKS head coach Anil Kumble voiced his concerns, stating, “it’s certainly worrying.”
Kumble, during his appearance on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out show, explained, “Yes [PBKS should be concerned about their bowling]. We have seen that on display. Other than Arshdeep and without [Harpreet] Brar to an extent… we don’t know what happened to Chahal [who missed the game]. It’s certainly worrying. And with Marco Jansen not being there for the playoffs, this is a worry.” Spin-bowling coach Sunil Joshi later clarified that Chahal was rested due to a minor niggle. Despite Harpreet Brar’s efforts, claiming 2 for 41 in Chahal’s absence, PBKS struggled as DC managed 114 runs in the final 57 balls.
Arshdeep Singh has emerged as the standout performer, taking 16 wickets at an economy rate of 8.70 through 13 matches. Chahal and Jansen, with 14 wickets each, have also been pivotal, but Jansen’s unavailability for the playoffs due to South African duties further complicates matters. Harpreet Brar, having played only six games, has impressed with nine wickets at an economy of 8.50. However, allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai’s performances have been underwhelming, collecting just five wickets with an economy of 10.60, while Marcus Stoinis’s contributions remain limited.
Following the defeat to DC, PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer remarked on their strategy, saying, “we went a bit overboard” with bouncers and failed in execution. Iyer commented on the pitch conditions, “I felt that it was a fantastic score, to be honest, on this wicket because it was helping the seamer… We’ve got to go back to the drawing board and see where we went wrong and definitely come in with a strong set of plans so that we’ll be able to execute pretty well in the next game.”
With only one game remaining in the league stage, both Kumble and Tom Moody cautioned PBKS against letting this setback disrupt their momentum as the tournament’s crucial phase approaches. Moody reflected, “Yeah, momentum’s a funny thing, because when you’ve got it, you feel like when you go into a contest without bowling a ball, you feel like you’re ahead of the game already.” Achieving a cohesive, confident performance in bowling would be crucial for PBKS moving forward in this season’s competition.
