For much of IPL 2026, Punjab Kings looked like a side sprinting ahead of the pack. They chased down huge scores and played with a fearlessness that made them one of the most entertaining teams in the tournament. But things have taken a turn for the worse in recent weeks, with the Shreyas Iyer -led side suffering a fourth straight defeat, this time to Delhi Capitals ( DC ) in Dharamshala on Monday. Defending 210 runs, PBKS watched DC chase the target down with an over to spare, but beyond the sloppy death bowling, one detail stood out: Yuzvendra Chahal not getting a single over. It was a decision rooted in match-ups. DC had two left-handers – Axar Patel and David Miller – controlling the chase through the middle overs, and PBKS seemingly felt Chahal was too risky an option against them. More importantly, this was not the first time this season that Iyer seemed reluctant to use him in uncomfortable match-ups.…