Youngster Shedge’s explosive cameos spark debate over Punjab’s struggling middle-order combinations this season
DHARAMSHALA
Ricky Ponting’s tactical decisions came under scrutiny after Punjab Kings suffered their fourth consecutive defeat in IPL 2026, going down by three wickets to Delhi Capitals in a high-scoring thriller at Dharamshala.
Punjab appeared firmly in control after posting an imposing 210 for five and reducing Delhi to 33 for three early in the chase. However, fighting half-centuries from Axar Patel and David Miller turned the game around before youngster Madhav Tiwari provided the finishing touches to keep Delhi alive in the playoff race.
The defeat intensified concerns over Punjab’s fading campaign after an impressive first half of the season in which they won six of their opening seven matches.
One of the major talking points after the match was the continued lower-order use of emerging batter Suryansh Shedge, whose explosive cameo once again stood out for Punjab. Walking in at No. 7, Shedge smashed 21 runs off just eight balls, including a fearless six against Mitchell Starc on the hat-trick delivery after Starc had dismissed Marcus Stoinis and Shashank Singh in consecutive deliveries.
Shedge’s late assault lifted Punjab from 187 to 210 and once again highlighted his finishing abilities. Earlier this season, the youngster had also impressed with a match-saving half-century against Gujarat Titans.
The performances have sparked debate over whether Ponting should promote Shedge higher up the batting order, particularly with experienced middle-order players like Stoinis and Shashank struggling for consistency.
Punjab’s top order, led by Priyansh Arya and skipper Shreyas Iyer, has delivered regularly, but repeated collapses in the middle overs have hurt the side in crucial matches.
With tough fixtures against Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Lucknow Super Giants remaining, Punjab now face mounting pressure to rethink their combinations quickly and revive their fading playoff hopes.