India, May 14 -- Punjab Kings had reached 13 points on April 25 and stood merely two wins away from securing a playoff berth for the second consecutive season. That too at only the halfway stage of the Indian Premier League 2026. They were unbeaten in their first seven matches.

Nineteen days later, Punjab are still stuck on 13 points.

A frustrating run of five straight defeats has seen them slip from the top of the table to fourth, and the toll was seemingly visible on captain Shreyas Iyer when he almost reluctantly picked up the microphone for the customary post-match interview after the loss to Mumbai Indians on Thursday at the HPCA Stadium.

The frustration and pain were evident in his eyes, even if Iyer tried hard to mask them and r...