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Punjab Kings’ IPL 2026 campaign has now turned into a complete nightmare, and head coach Ricky Ponting looked completely heartbroken after the team’s latest defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Dharamshala on Sunday, May 18.
PBKS once looked like strong title contenders in the ongoing IPL 2026, but they are now on the verge of elimination after losing six matches in a row. The shocking part is that Punjab Kings had started the season brilliantly, winning the first six matches while one match was washed out in Kolkata.
Ricky Ponting left heartbroken as PBKS collapse continues in IPL 2026
But the second half of the season has completely changed everything for the franchise. After another defeat against RCB in Dharamshala, the Punjab Kings are now in a must-win situation.
Their playoff hopes are hanging by a thread, as they now need to win their last game against LSG and hope other results go their way. Well, one moment after the Dharamshala game caught everyone’s attention. Actually, Ricky Ponting was seen sitting alone quietly in the dugout.
The legendary Australian looked in complete shock and disappointment as he stared at the ground after another painful loss on Sunday. The image went viral on social media in no time, with many fans calling it one of the most emotional visuals of this season.
pic.twitter.com/bcoiLSgzK9
— Shreyass Eraa (@IyerShreyass) May 17, 2026
Coach Saab ko aise dekh kar sach mein dil toot gaya… bahut bura lag raha hai 😭💔
This man hardly ever looked this sad during his entire cricket journey, but today you can see how much Punjab means to him… Ricky Ponting looked truly hurt 😭💔
But no…
Ravichandran Ashwin reacts to Ricky Ponting’s emotional dugout image
Now, former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also reacted to the moment. He said the picture of Ponting sitting alone showed the pain and frustration inside the Punjab Kings camp after such a dramatic collapse in the ongoing IPL 2026 season.
Ashwin also said he felt bad for both head coach Ricky Ponting and captain Shreyas Iyer because the team had put itself in such a difficult situation after such a strong start in the tournament.
Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’: “I saw a powerful picture on TV after the match today. Ricky Ponting was leaning forward in the dugout, all alone. He must have a lot going on inside his head. They were in the prime position to run away and take the top two spots in this tournament. I think they must be asking themselves where they went wrong.”
Read Also: Punjab Kings issue official statement on Arshdeep Singh playing through injury in IPL 2026
The former PBKS captain continued, “I sat on the same chair in 2018. I am not defending them, but I said in the last episode as well, the three or four champion teams don't play at different home venues. You were winning in Mullanpur continuously, then you went to Dharamshala, and you lost three consecutive home games.”
Pradhan Ponting💔
— AkCricTalks🎤🇮🇳 (@AKCricTalks) May 18, 2026
From Finals to Falling Apart: What Happened to Punjab Kings?🤔💔
The Biggest reason I started supporting Punjab Kings is Ricky Ponting. He is my all-time favourite player, and it is anybody's guess why.
Seeing him look so dejected like this - it honestly… pic.twitter.com/pqPyW6xdpa
Ravichandran Ashwin blasts PBKS over ‘Home Ground’ blunder in IPL 2026
Ashwin further slammed the Punjab Kings’ decision to split their home matches in Mullanpur and Dharamshala in IPL 2026. He noted that making pitches and getting accustomed to the conditions are totally different things, and they made a big mistake in this.
Ashwin also criticized the franchise owners for focusing more on business decisions instead of what was best for the team’s performance. He signed off by saying, “These are young players, and even foreign players are struggling. There's a big difference between Mullanpur and Dharamshala when it comes to pace and bounce.
The soil is the same, but the altitude is different. This is also an away game for Punjab. If they had won even one of these home games, they would've been smiling right now. It's quite disappointing. I feel sad for Punjab. You shouldn't leave your home ground. Ricky Ponting will be distraught; Shreyas Iyer will be too.”
