Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 15 (ANI): Former Indian cricketer Piyush Chawla has highlighted Punjab Kings' (PBKS) underperforming overseas bowlers, especially Marco Jansen and Xavier Bartlett, as a key reason behind the team's struggles in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season.

PBKS faced their fifth consecutive loss in the IPL when they faced a six-wicket defeat to the Mumbai Indians (MI) on Thursday. Notably, PBKS' five-match losing streak follows their strong form in the early phase of the IPL, where they registered six back-to-back wins. Currently, PBKS are placed fourth on the IPL points table with 13 points in 12 matches, and need to win their remaining two matches to secure a playoff birth.

Speaking on JioHotstar, JioStar expert Piyush Chawl said that Punjab Kings are under heavy pressure and now need to win their remaining matches to stay in the tournament. He pointed out that their biggest concern is bowling, especially the poor form of overseas pacers Marco Jansen and Xavier Bartlett.

Both Marco Jansen and Xavier Bartlett have been leaking runs while struggling to pick up wickets. In the match against Mumbai Indians, Jansen returned figures of 1/55 in four overs, while Bartlett went wicketless with 0/55 in 3.5 overs.

Chawla noted that Jansen has not been at his best, while Bartlett has struggled after his opening spells, making it difficult for PBKS to control high-scoring chases.

'Punjab Kings are now under tremendous pressure because they've reached a stage where they must win their remaining games to stay alive in the tournament. Considering the kind of start they had to the season, very few would have expected them to be in this position. The bowling has become a major concern, especially with their overseas fast bowlers struggling for form and consistency,' Piyush Chawla said.

'Marco Jansen hasn't looked at his best, while Xavier Bartlett has found it difficult once the new-ball spell is over. When your premier overseas pacers concede heavily across their combined spells, it becomes extremely difficult to control a 200-plus chase,' Chawla said.

Mark Boucher said that PBKS are in a difficult position after a series of close losses despite a strong start to the season. He felt that worrying too much about playoff qualification may be increasing pressure on the team. Boucher suggested that PBKS should adopt a more fearless, 'nothing to lose' approach and focus on playing freely.

'Punjab Kings have found themselves in a difficult position after a series of close defeats, especially considering the strong start they had to the season. Sometimes, constantly thinking about the top four and qualification scenarios can add extra pressure, and perhaps stepping away from that mindset could actually help them. If they approach the remaining games with a more fearless attitude and feel like they have nothing to lose, it might free them up mentally,' Boucher said.

'The IPL is a tournament where momentum can shift very quickly, just as teams can build winning streaks, losing streaks can also take hold through small moments and missed opportunities. Punjab Kings now need to reset mentally and focus purely on playing their best cricket in the matches ahead,' he added.

Coming to the match, MI opted to bowl first. A 50-run stand between Priyansh Arya (22 in 17 balls, with four boundaries) and Prabhsimran Singh started off things well for PBKS. Prabhsimran had some struggles with his tempo, but managed to score 57 in 32 balls, with six fours and four sixes and put on a 57-run stand with Cooper Connolly (21). From 107/1, PBKS collapsed to 140/7.

Cameos from Azmatullah Omarzai (38 in 17 balls, with two fours and four sixes), Vishnu Vinod (15*), and Xavier Bartlett (18*) took PBKS to a competitive 200/8 in 20 overs. Shardul Thakur (4/39) and Deepak Chahar (2/36) were the pick of the bowlers for MI.

During the run-chase, Ryan Rickelton (48 in 23 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes) and Rohit Sharma (25 in 26 balls, with two sixes put on a 61-run stand. But PBKS lost wickets at regular intervals after that, and at 149/4 in the 17th over, the match looked balanced. Tilak (75* in 33 balls, with six fours and six sixes) and Will Jacks (25* in 10 balls, with two fours and two sixes) put on an explosive 56-run stand, chasing down the target with a ball left.

Omarzai (2/36 in four overs), Yuzi Chahal (1/32 in four overs) and Arshdeep Singh (0/29 in four overs) bowled well for PBKS, but other than that, their foreign quicks, Marco Jansen (1/55) and Xavier Bartlett (0/53), continued to leak runs.MI is at the eighth spot in the points table, with four wins and eight losses, giving them eight points. PBKS stays in the top four with six wins, five losses and a no result, giving them 13 points. If Chennai Super Kings (CSK) beat Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Friday, they would be out of the top four. (ANI)