Shreyas Iyer Registers Unwanted Captaincy Record After First Loss vs. Rajasthan Royals

Following Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni are among the captains who have registered the unwanted loss record in the IPL.

Shreyas Iyer Registers Unwanted Captaincy Record After First Loss vs. Rajasthan Royals

Shreyas Iyer (via News 18)

In Short
  • Punjab Kings suffered their first loss of IPL 2026 against Rajasthan Royals, ending an unbeaten streak.
  • Shreyas Iyer set an unwanted record for most losses as captain while defending 200+ totals in IPL history.
  • The team dropped veteran all-rounder Shashank Singh due to fielding struggles, marking a significant selection change.

Punjab Kings’ unbeaten streak in IPL 2026 was definitively brought to an end after Rajasthan Royals secured a victory over them in a high-scoring thriller played in Mullanpur. Following this defeat, PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer registered an unwanted record in his name.

Following a highly successful 2025 campaign where Shreyas Iyer led Punjab Kings to its second-ever IPL final, the 31-year-old has also had an outstanding start in 2026. PBKS won six of its first seven games, with the one match being washed out due to rain. Notably, their most spectacular victory was the 265-run chase against the Delhi Capitals, making it the highest successful chase in IPL history.

Punjab Kings’ victory run, however, came to a halt after they suffered a disappointing six-wicket defeat to Rajasthan Royals at home. Opting to bat first, PBKS raced to a formidable first-innings total of 222/4, thanks to Marcus Stoinis (62* off 22), Prabhsimran Singh (59 off 44), Cooper Connolly (30 off 14), and Priyansh Arya (29 off 11). However, what followed was a poor bowling effort, as RR easily chased down the 223-run target in 19.2 overs, with six wickets in hand. 

For the visitors, fifties from Donovan Ferreira (52* off 26) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (51 off 27), and brisk knocks from Vaibhav Sooyavanshi (43 off 16) and Shubham Dubey (31 off 12) saw them over the line. The loss revealed vulnerabilities in the Punjab Kings’ side, while also raising some questions regarding whether the franchise can sustain its aggressive strategy over the full duration of the tournament.

While Shreyas Iyer and Co. have earned the reputation of chasing down ‘unbelievable’ totals, a statistic on the defensive side tells a contrasting story. The 31-year-old in fact, holds the unwanted record for having lost the most matches as captain while defending 200+ totals in the IPL.

He has lost a staggering five times while defending such a total. This record spans his leadership campaigns across three different franchises, DC, KKR, and PBKS, all of which he has surprisingly led to an IPL final. 

Halfway through IPL 2026, the Punjab Kings are statistically one of the teams that have conceded the highest number of 200+ totals. This season alone, PBKS first gave away a 200+ score against CSK, followed by similar performances against SRH, LSG, and DC.

Why did PBKS drop Shashank Singh against RR? Shreyas Iyer called it ‘forced’ change

Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer, at the toss against Rajasthan Royals, revealed a massive selection call that the team had made, with regard to Shashank Singh. The veteran all-rounder was surprisingly dropped from the playing XI, with Iyer terming it a ‘forced’ change. 

Shashank Singh dropped Shreyas Iyer
Shashank Singh was dropped from PBKS playing XI against RR, a decision which captain Shreyas Iyer termed ‘forced’. (via NDTV Sports)

Shashank Singh has been a mainstay in PBKS’ playing XI since IPL 2024, ever since he was bought by the franchise ‘accidentally’ at the auction. The 34-year-old scored 354 runs during the season and followed it up with another 350-run campaign in IPL 2025, including a fighting 61 runs off 30 balls in the final defeat to RCB. Despite being their most consistent finisher, Singh was, however, not picked against RR. 

While captain Iyer’s ‘forced’ change remarks pointed towards an injury issue, reports suggest that he was dropped due to fielding struggles. The 34-year-old has taken only three of his eight catch opportunities and dropped five, leading to a catching efficiency rate of only 37.50 percent. It included dropping a crucial catch of KL Rahul against DC, which allowed the batter to proceed to score a record 152*. 

Shashank Singh has contributed with 70 runs in seven matches at a blistering strike-rate of 194.44, while also picking up three wickets in IPL 2026. The veteran player was replaced in the playing XI against RR, by Mumbai all-rounder Suryansh Shedge.

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