Punjab Kings’ Marco Jansen and captain Shreyas Iyer react after the match. (ANI photo)

New Delhi: Captain of Punjab Kings Shreyas Iyer He did not hide his disappointment after the fifth consecutive defeat in IPL 2026, he called the latest defeat Mumbai Indians “A tough pill to swallow”.Already eliminated, MI chased 201 with six wickets remaining in Dharamsala on Thursday, leaving PBKS stuck on 13 points from 12 matches and under severe pressure in the playoff race.Shreyas said after the match, “Okay, very hard to swallow, but I don’t want to point to any situation here because it was a great game of cricket. Well-fought game.”Tilak turned the tablesPunjab looked to be in control after scoring 200 runs for 8 wickets, but Tilak VermaA brilliant innings of 75 not out in 33 balls took the game away.Shreyas acknowledged the left-handed batsman’s role in the chase and praised the way he controlled the innings under pressure.“He played amazingly well. He was selecting his shots very well and he fielded well too, so credit to him,” he said.Tilak chased the target after a fast start from Ryan Rickelton, who scored 48 runs from 23 balls. Later, with the help of Will Jacques’ 25 runs off 10 balls, Mumbai completed the chase with one ball to spare.Umarzai’s late innings gives hope to PBKSPunjab, after coming from a strong position, seemed to be heading towards a very low score. Prabhsimran Singh top-scored with 57 runs, but the collapse of the middle order due to Shardul Thakur’s four wickets made them stumble.Shreyas shed light Azmatullah OmarzaiThe late cameo marked the turning point in his innings.He said, “At one stage we were looking around 170 to 180 and from there he changed the pace. From the 16th or 17th over we got the scoop for sixes and we picked up the pace. Reaching 200 was a commendable performance from him.”It is important for PBKS to win nowPunjab now have to win two matches, starting with the afternoon match against Royal Challengers Bangalore.“Definitely excited for the next opportunity. It’s an afternoon game and we have to win two out of two. It’s going to be exciting. Can’t wait to play them,” Shreyas said.After topping the table at the start of this season, PBKS are now one defeat away from a dramatic collapse.