James Hopes optimistic for late turnaround as PBKS stare at elimination

Punjab Kings were subjected to their sixth straight defeat, further denting their playoff chances in IPL 2026. Fast bowling coach James Hopes admitted the team is now staring at elimination after another disappointing defeat, saying the side has struggled to seize momentum in key moments throughout the tournament. "We are staring it in the face now," he said. "There's still hope, but we need to turn it around. Some areas need to be cleaned up. Reflecting on the defeat, he said Punjab were constantly "chasing their tail" with the ball despite controlling phases of the Powerplay. "I had the impression that each time we regained momentum, they would score one big over and retake the lead," Then in the chase, we got going a little bit, but it petered out. He added, "We lost too many wickets early." "At the moment, it's going to be about instilling that belief back into them. And we've been trying. It is not because of a lack of education. It's not through lack of planning," he said reflectively. "The boys are training well. The boys are planning well. It's just that we get into moments where we think, 'Okay, we'll get the game back our way now,' and it's just not happening," he said Hopes defended the bowling attack, particularly Arshdeep Singh, insisting results have been affected by missed chances in the field rather than defensive bowling. "Arshdeep has bowled very well in the back half of the tournament. There've been plays and misses, catches dropping short of fielders and missed opportunities," he said. "If you add four dropped catches off his bowling, he's probably sitting on a 17 or 18-wicket season. He arrives prepared for each game and training session. He is a fighter." The bowling coach also backed the side's top order despite another failure in a steep chase. "I don't believe that a top order wins every game. The majority of the tournament's top orders engage in high-risk play, which occasionally fails," he stated. Despite still being in contention for the playoffs, Punjab will need additional results before their final league game. "We haven't taken advantage of our opportunities over the past two weeks, so we are where we are now." He stated, "There is no hiding behind it." "We need to regroup, hope results go our way over the next few days and make sure we're playing for something next Saturday," he added.