Punjab Kings were knocked out from the IPL 2023 league stage after a four-wicket loss against Rajasthan Royals on Friday, May 19.
Sam Curran (49* in 31 balls), Jitesh Sharma (44 in 28 balls), and Shahrukh Khan (41* in 23 balls) all contributed to PBKS’s score of 187 after they were reduced to 50 for 4 in 6.3 overs.
Despite Kagiso Rabada dismissing Jos Buttler early in the chase, Rajasthan Royals rode the outstanding performances of Yashasvi Jaiswal (50 in 36 balls) as well as Devdutt Padikkal (51 in 30 balls). Shimron Hetmyer’s late charge (46 off 28 balls) helped them come closer to the target before Dhruv Jurel clinched the victory with a resounding six over long-off against Rahul Chahar in the final over.
The victory helped RR maintain their slim chances of making it to the IPL 2023 playoffs, with a couple of outcomes required to get their way on Sunday, May 21. Meanwhile, PBKS failed to make the playoffs for the tenth consecutive season. Shikhar Dhawan’s team won six and lost eight matches to finish eighth on the table, ahead of the Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Punjab Kings last advanced to the IPL playoffs Under the captaincy of George Bailey. It is their lone appearance in the playoffs since the the revolutionary knockout stage was introduced in 2011.
However the Punjab team finished second on the points table in the first season, with 10 victories, four defeats, and 20 points, under Yuvraj Singh. They advanced to the now defunct semi final stage. They were defeated by Chennai Super Kings by nine wickets in Mumbai.
Punjab Kings have only qualified for the knockout phase (semi-finals and playoffs) twice in IPL history – in 2008 and 2014.
How Punjab Kings failed in 2023?
Punjab Kings began the IPL 2023 with back to back wins over Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals. They won a tense five-run game against the Royals in Guwahati. They won two of their next five games, both against the Lucknow Super Giants and the Mumbai Indians going to the final over.
Punjab Kings failed to capitalise on their home advantage, losing to both Lucknow and Mumbai in Mohali. Despite this, they triumphed over CSK in a 201-run chase in their Chepauk fortress.
In their last four league games, PBKS have only managed a single win over the Delhi Capitals. The Capitals avenged their 31-run setback in Delhi at Dharamshala. The Punjab Kings followed the same pattern as in earlier seasons. Inconsistency and inability to maintain the momentum of a strong start cost them yet again.