The Punjab Kings’ batting woes in the middle overs continued to haunt them in their IPL 2025 clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, as they endured yet another collapse immediately after the Powerplay. After finishing the Powerplay strongly at 62/1, Punjab lost three crucial wickets and managed to add just 17 runs in the following four overs, reaching 79/4 at the end of 10 overs.
This worrying trend has persisted throughout the season. In the overs between 7 and 10, Punjab Kings have now lost a total of 12 wickets across matches, scoring at a low run rate of just 7.06 per over — the worst by any team in this phase in IPL 2025.
The middle-over slowdown is proving to be a major hurdle in Punjab’s batting strategy. Despite getting good starts in a few games, the inability to rotate strike and the frequent loss of wickets right after the field restrictions are lifted is derailing momentum, allowing opposition bowlers to tighten the screws.
Facing RCB at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Chandigarh, the Kings had hoped for a turnaround. But their recurring collapse in the immediate post-Powerplay period leaves the middle order under pressure once again.
Punjab’s campaign will require urgent recalibration in their middle-overs approach if they are to stay in contention in this tightly contested IPL season.
