Shreyas Iyer pointed to poor execution with both the ball and in the field after Punjab Kings couldn’t defend 210 against Delhi Capitals in a thrilling finish at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Monday.

Reflecting on the loss, Iyer acknowledged that PBKS let the game slip due to poor bowling and fielding. “Don’t have to beat around the bush, but fielding and bowling again,” he said after the match.

PBKS seemed in control after scoring 210/5, thanks to Priyansh Arya’s explosive 56 off 33 balls, Iyer’s quick runs in the middle, and Suryansh Shedge’s impressive late attack on Mitchell Starc in the penultimate over.

Arya set the tone right from the start, hitting Starc over cover-point for six as PBKS raced to 72/0 during the powerplay. Iyer maintained the momentum through the middle overs, and Shedge then hammered Starc for a six, a four, and a massive 100-meter maximum in the 19th over, pushing PBKS beyond 200.

The PBKS captain insisted that their total should have been enough on a challenging pitch that provided seam movement and inconsistent bounce. “Absolutely. I feel it was 30 runs more on this wicket, given how the ball was seaming and the variable bounce,” he stated.

However, DC responded with their best batting performance of the season. They found themselves at 14/2 and later 38/3, but rebuilt with captain Axar Patel and Tristan Stubbs. David Miller then changed the game with a series of boundaries and sixes. IPL debutant Madhav Tiwari added a fearless cameo of 18 off eight balls, while Auqib Nabi finished the chase with a towering six, marking the highest successful IPL chase in Dharamsala history.

Iyer also explained why Yuzvendra Chahal did not bowl, despite the dew making things tough for the fast bowlers. “It was a consideration, but given the way it was seaming, if we had followed our lines and lengths, we might have gotten wickets. But we did not,” he added.

“I always say that hard length or just short of hard length is the best delivery. It’s not easy for a new batter to hit. We fell short of our plan.”