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Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Shreyas Iyer described his side's six-wicket defeat to Mumbai Indians (MI) as a "tough pill to swallow," but lauded the opposition batters for their match-winning efforts in a high-scoring IPL 2026 clash at the HPCA Stadium on Thursday night.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Iyer acknowledged the quality of batting from MI's Tilak Varma, praising his ability to rotate strike and play according to the field. "(On the loss tonight) Well, absolutely a tough pill to swallow, but I don't want to pinpoint any situation over here because it was a great game of cricket. Well-fought game. He (Tilak) played amazingly, he was selecting his shots pretty well, and he manoeuvred the field nicely, so credit to him," Iyer said. The PBKS captain also highlighted the impact of Azmatullah Omarzai, noting how the all-rounder shifted momentum in PBKS' favour during the death overs and helped the team reach a strong total. "Certainly, at a point, we were looking at around 170 to 180, and from there on, he simply changed the momentum towards us. Getting those scoops of sixes, and from 16th or 17th over, from there on, we gained the momentum and getting to 200 was a commendable performance for him," he added. Despite the six-wicket defeat, Iyer remained optimistic about PBKS' chances in the remaining fixtures, expressing confidence ahead of their next challenge against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). "Definitely excited for the next opportunity. It's an afternoon game, and we've got to win two out of two. It's going to be an exciting two games. Can't wait to play them," he said. Mumbai Indians defeated Punjab Kings by six wickets in a high-scoring IPL 2026 match at Dharamsala, chasing down 201 with one ball to spare. Tilak Varma starred with a brilliant 75 off 33 balls, while Will Jacks provided late fireworks to guide MI home after early contributions from Ryan Rickelton and Sherfane Rutherford. Earlier, PBKS posted 200/8 after a strong start led by Prabhsimran Singh's 57 and useful lower-order runs, including a quick cameo from Azmatullah Omarzai. However, regular wickets in the middle overs, especially Shardul Thakur's four-wicket haul, stalled their momentum, leaving MI with a gettable target which they successfully chased. (ANI)
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