IPL 2026: 'It is a matter of concern when you're going into playoffs,' says Chawla on Arshdeep's bowling woes

New Chandigarh, April 29 Former Indian spinner Piyush Chawla has raised concerns over Punjab Kings (PBKS) fast bowler Arshdeep Singh's poor bowling, saying that the senior pacer's continuous failures could haunt Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the playoffs.

India's highest wicket-taker in T20Is, Arshdeep, was looking out of touch at PCA New International Stadium on Tuesday and conceded 68 runs as the Shreyas Iyer-led side failed to defend a mammoth total of 222 runs against Rajasthan Royals (RR) and lost their first match in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 by 6 wickets.

Chawla feels that Arshdeep's poor performance throughout the season, in which he has taken just eight wickets in eight matches, is a significant problem for the Punjab Kings, who are aiming for their first trophy.

"A game or two games here and there, you can expect [him to do badly], but it's happening most of the time. Then it is a matter of concern, because if you look at the bigger picture - when you're going into the playoffs - then you have to think about it. What if something like this happened in a playoff game? Then you're playing a catch-up game. It's not that you're sitting comfortably," he told ESPNCricinfo.

According to Chawla, Arshdeep is known to take wickets in the power play, and if he fails to do so, then the left-arm pacer concedes a lot of runs.

"He's somebody who's known to pick up wickets with the new ball, and that's not been happening. The game (where) he picks up wickets with the new ball, he ends up bowling a wonderful spell. That's what happened against MI (3 for 22). But this season, he's going at almost 11 runs per over. And I understand that he bowls those difficult overs in the powerplay and then at the death, but still he's your still premium bowler," he added.

Meanwhile, after the defeat, PBKS still sits at the top of the points table with 13 points in 8 matches. They will next face the Gujarat Titans (GT) on May 3.

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