An unbeaten streak of 7 matches and then a 6-match losing streak, Punjab Kings are a case study of IPL 2026, as the favourite to win the title are now on the verge of elimination. But their tale of two halves is no coincidence. For a team that started with 6 consecutive wins (along with a no result vs KKR), Shreyas Iyer and co now have to depend on other results to go their way to have a chance at qualification. But in this tale of two halves, there is a factor at play. PBKS won three out of four matches at “home”, Mullanpur. And then, they lost three out of three at their second home, Dharamshala. So, the question is, are PBKS affected by playing at multiple home grounds?
How PBKS went from 90 to 0 from Mullanpur to Dharamsala
PBKS have become the only side to play at three home venues – Mohali, New Chandigarh and Dharamshala – since 2023. They have won just 8 games while playing at these venues and have instead lost 19 matches. In fact, PBKS have been the worst side while playing at home, having won just 29.63% of the matches that they have played at various home grounds. Since 2023, PBKS have won one of out of 5 matches in Mohali, one out of 8 in Dharamsala and have won 6 matches out of 14 games in Dharamshala
| Team | Venue | Mat | Won | Lost | Win % |
| RCB | Bengaluru, Raipur | 26 | 15 | 11 | 57.69% |
| GT | Ahmedabad | 28 | 16 | 12 | 57.14% |
| MI | Wankhede | 27 | 15 | 12 | 55.56% |
| CSK | Chepauk | 27 | 15 | 12 | 55.56% |
| SRH | Hyderabad | 25 | 12 | 12 | 48.00% |
| KKR | Eden Gardens | 26 | 11 | 13 | 42.31% |
| LSG | Lucknow | 27 | 11 | 15 | 40.74% |
| RR | Guwahati, Jaipur | 27 | 11 | 15 | 40.74% |
| DC | Delhi, Vizag | 27 | 11 | 16 | 40.74% |
| PBKS | Mohali, Dharamsala, New Chandigarh | 27 | 8 | 19 | 29.63% |
PBKS won three out of the four matches they played at their primary home ground in New Chandigarh. A 3-wicket win against GT in match number 4, a 6-wicket win in match 11 vs SRH, and a 54-run win against LSG in match 29, apart from a 6-wicket loss against RR in match 40 had put PBKS in the perfect position to make it to the IPL 2026 playoffs without any hiccups. 3 away wins also helped the cause. Until, they embarked on a 6-match losing streak since the game against the Royals.
While playing at Dharamsala, PBKS lost match 55 to DC by 3 wickets, match 58 to MI by 6 wickets, and then match 61 to RCB by 23 runs. Shreyas Iyer and co, who once found themselves at the top of the IPL 2026 standings and in a position to make it to the playoffs easily, are now in the 4th position with 13 points to their name, needing a win from their only remaining league stage game apart from other results going their way in order to make it to the IPL 2026 playoffs. The defeats at the their second home ground are examples of how playing at two different home-grounds has
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