Punjab Kings, led by Shreyas Iyer, started the IPL 2026 season on a high note, winning six of their first seven matches, with one being washed out.
However, they failed to maintain their momentum, losing six consecutive matches, resulting in their elimination even before the IPL playoffs, let alone winning the prestigious trophy, which they had been gunning for for the past 19 years.
While several things contributed to the Punjab Kings’ startling drop in form after the first half of the IPL 2026, one that could not be overlooked was their failure to use Marcus Stoinis, the bowler.
Stoinis, nicknamed ‘The Hulk’ for his use of large muscles and force for sixes, has been just as influential with the ball in hand.
Marcus Stoinis Still Has Fire with the Ball.
In other words, Stoinis is a true wicket-taking all-rounder, not just a finisher. Even at the age of 36, he has been going strong while rolling his arms, and his latest stats from numerous T20 franchise competitions speak for themselves.
Stoinis competed for the Southern Brave in Match 13 in the Hundred Men 2026 competition on Thursday in Southampton. He conceded only 16 runs from 20 balls despite taking two top-order wickets in Joe Clarke and Laurie Evans, contributing significantly to his team’s 12-run victory.
Later, he was also named Player of the Match. And from there, the argument over Stoinis’ ability to still deliver with the ball resurfaced.
In addition to being famed for dropping catches for fun during the IPL 2026, the star-studded Punjab Kings appeared to be wildly inconsistent with their line and length throughout the league. Individually and collectively, they stumbled like no other, as evidenced by the data.
To illustrate their bowling performance, the Punjab Kings took the fewest wickets in the IPL 2026 out of all 10 teams. To make matters worse, their economy rate was the highest of all teams. To make matters worse, they also had the lowest strike rate.
Yes, Stoinis bowled four matches for the Punjab Kings in the IPL 2026, taking two wickets from Axar Patel and Nishant Sindhu.
Despite his consistency with the ball prior to joining the IPL 2026, Shreyas Iyer did not believe in him for the long term.
Stoinis got four wickets in three matches for Australia, despite the team’s poor performance in the T20 World Cup 2026. He maintained an economy rate of 8.94 while striking at 13.
Even while Ricky Ponting, who is in command of the Punjab Kings, accepts equal responsibility for the team’s IPL 2026 performance, it was Shreyas who determined who to deploy when and how when arranging the fielding or bringing in a new bowler.
Therefore, it would be safe to state that Shreyas Iyer, who is known for being one of the brightest brains at the moment, lost the trick by trusting Marcus Stoinis ‘the bowler’ in IPL 2026. Who knows, maybe that may pay off for him, especially given the shows he has been doing on occasion.
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