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PBKS Season Performance Trajectory
Comparison of PBKS performance at the start of the season versus recent results.
Primary Sources
All I can do and control is the behaviour of the team ... - Times of India
LUCKNOW: Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting has played down suggestions that external noise or social media controversy has contributed to the team’s slump, saying the six-match losing streak is due to on-field lapses and not distractions.“I don’t think anything externally has interrupted us as a team. I’m not a big social media guy anyway. Of the stuff that has been happening, I’m probably oblivious to,” Ponting said on the eve of Punjab’s do-or-die IPL clash against LSG.“All I can do and control is the behaviour of the team and the way that the team prepares and the way that it plays,” he said.Ponting said the downturn began after the washout against Kolkata Knight Riders and insisted the margins have been fine.“From that moment on we’ve just been a little bit off. And as I said, these are small things. There are one or two balls or an over here and there that we quite conceivably could have won another three or four games, but we’ve only got ourselves to blame for that,” he said.The former Australia captain also praised skipper Shreyas Iyer, calling his leadership a key positive in the campaign. “He has been brilliant. It’s no secret that I wanted to work with him again, having worked with him for a long time in Delhi,” Ponting said.“Shreyas has had a good tournament himself with the bat. His leadership around the group has been exceptional. He is a very mature cricketer now. I think he’s a very mature leader now,” Pointing said.
Ricky Ponting Finally Reacts To PBKS' Off-Field Controversies
Punjab Kings need to win this match to keep their slim IPL playoff chances alive and snap a worrying six-match losing streak. By : Shivam Sharma | Updated at : 23 May 2026 12:17 PM (IST) Punjab Kings started their IPL 2026 campaign like a runaway freight train, winning six of their first seven matches under new skipper Shreyas Iyer. Punjab Kings (PBKS) head coach Ricky Ponting has firmly shut down rumors that off-field drama is behind his team's sudden downfall in IPL 2026. Speaking ahead of Punjab's critical, must-win showdown against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on May 23, 2026, the legendary former Australian captain explicitly distanced himself and his squad from toxic social media narratives, insisting that internal team harmony remains fully intact. A Seven-Game Collapse Punjab Kings started their IPL 2026 campaign like a runaway freight train, winning six of their first seven matches under new skipper Shreyas Iyer. However, their campaign completely derailed following late-April setbacks, culminating in a brutal six-match winless streak that has pushed their playoff qualification hopes to the absolute edge. Compounding their on-field struggles, severe social media backlash erupted after unverified internet rumors and a circulating player video (involving Arshdeep Singh and Harpreet Brar) prompted widespread fans' speculation regarding internal dressing room fractures and disciplinary lapses. Addressing the media in a high-pressure pre-match press conference at the Ekana Stadium, Ponting completely rubbished claims that the team has been derailed by outside controversies. “I don’t think anything externally has interrupted us as a team," Ponting told reporters. “I’m not a big social media guy anyway, so I don’t, a lot of the stuff that’s been happening. I’m probably oblivious to (social media)." “All I can do and control is, is the behaviour of the team and the way that the team prepares and the way that the team plays," he added. Ahead of the high-stakes encounter against LSG in Lucknow, Ponting stated that the atmosphere within the camp is still positive and confident. “The atmospheres remain very positive and very relaxed," Ponting said. “I think the worst thing you can do in a situation like this is panic and worry about what tomorrow brings. You’ve just got to stick to what you know has worked for you in the past as a player and certainly as a coach and a group of coaches, that’s exactly what we’ve done." Punjab Kings need to win this match to keep...
Ricky Ponting blames 'washout against Kolkata Knight Riders' behind ...
Punjab are in a must-win situation when they take on Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Saturday, with three teams already securing their playoffs berths. May 23, 2026 / 18:14 IST Story continues below Advertisement Remove Ad Ricky Ponting’s strange excuse for Punjab Kings’ collapse as IPL exit looms As Punjab Kings get set to play their last league game of IPL 2026 against Lucknow Super Giants, a recent statement from their head coach, Ricky Ponting, has garnered a lot of attention. Under Shreyas Iyer's captaincy, PBKS raced away to a flyer having won six games back-to-back at the start of the season.Punjab are in a must-win situation when they take on Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Saturday, with three teams already securing their playoffs berths.Before their their all-important clash, Ponting suggested the KKR fixture that was washed out earlier in the season, could have been a stumbling block for Punjab. The game at Eden Gardens was abandoned due to rain, with both teams sharing points -- perhaps to PBKS' detriment."We were exceptional for our first seven or six games. Then we had that washout against Kolkata Knight Riders, and I think from that moment on we've just been a little bit off and as I said they're small things. They're one or two balls or they're an over here and there that quite conceivably, we could have won another three or four games, but we've only got ourselves to blame for that," Ponting said on ESPNCricinfo."We're in the situation that we're in as a result of not playing at our best over the last few weeks, but we've also got a very good idea of what our best cricket looks like and what it is and what we have to do to win tomorrow, and that's all we can focus on," he added.Story continues below Advertisement"I mean they, Lucknow, going into tomorrow. Apart from probably personal pride and pride for the franchise's performance, they've really got nothing else to lose, so teams can be dangerous in that way. But we understand that, we know that, and that's the way that I want my boys to play as well," said Ponting."I want us to be fearless and I want us to be daring, I want us to take the game on and not be worried about what might happen, the negative things that might happen in the game," he added.
IPL 2026 - PBKS - Ricky Ponting - We only have ourselves ... - ESPNcricinfo
Edition SLNewsPBKS' head coach is wary of a dangerous LSG side who have nothing to loseRicky Ponting: 'We've been off the boil since the KKR washout' • BCCIAfter winning their first six completed games in IPL 2026, Punjab Kings (PBKS) have lost six games in a row and no longer have playoffs qualification entirely in their hands. They will have to win their final league-stage game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), and hope other results go their way too. On the eve of the game against LSG, PBKS head coach Ricky Ponting put their losses down to fine margins but conceded that they haven't been at their best."We were exceptional for our first seven or six games," Ponting said, "then we had that washout against Kolkata Knight Riders, and I think from that moment on we've just been a little bit off and as I said they're small things. They're one or two balls or they're an over here and there that quite conceivably, we could have won another three or four games, but we've only got ourselves to blame for that. We're in the situation that we're in as a result of not playing at our best over the last few weeks, but we've also got a very good idea of what our best cricket looks like and what it is and what we have to do to win tomorrow, and that's all we can focus on."Unlike PBKS, LSG come into the game with low stakes having already been eliminated from the playoffs race. However, that could work in their favour as they have little to lose. So Ponting wants PBKS to be "fearless and daring" in Lucknow."I mean they, Lucknow, going into tomorrow," Ponting said, "apart from probably personal pride and pride for the franchise's performance, they've really got nothing else to lose, so teams can be dangerous in that way. But we understand that, we know that, and that's the way that I want my boys to play as well. I want us to be fearless and I want us to be daring, I want us to take the game on and not be worried about what might happen, the negative things that might happen in the game."It's really important we focus on the positive things and what you can do as an individual player to make an impact on the game there and then."Despite being in a precarious position, PBKS are trying to stave off anxiety."The atmospheres remain very positive and very relaxed", Ponting said. "I think the worst thing you can do in a situation like this is panic and worry about what tomorrow brings. You've just got to stick to what you know has worked for you in the past as a player and cer...
