By Adarsh Chauhan
Chandigarh [India], August 13 (ANI): Punjab Kings (PBKS) assistant bowling coach Trevor Gonsalves touched upon the team's mid-season turnaround and said the team did not become complacent despite suffering six consecutive defeats after making a strong start to their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 campaign earlier this year.
The Kings' campaign was a tale of two halves, as they opened the season with six straight wins before suffering a six-match losing streak. The slump saw them slide to fifth in the standings, with just one win in their final seven games. However, Gonsalves said the coaching staff remained focused on the process and did not allow the team to panic.
Notably, PBKS finished as runners-up in the 2025 season and appeared well placed to secure another top-four finish in the 2026 season, if not a top-two spot. However, they ultimately fell short of those expectations.
Speaking to ANI, Gonsalves said the period was challenging as the team kept waiting for the one win they needed, but stressed that complacency was not a factor.
"Everyone, everyone thought, 'Okay, that one win will come.' There's nothing about being complacent about it," he said.
Notably, IPL 2026 set a record for most 200-plus team totals in a season -- 53. Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad recorded the most 200-plus totals in IPL 2026, with both teams reaching the mark eight times each.
In 2026, PBKS also pulled off a sensational victory over Delhi Capitals, chasing down 265 to register the highest successful run chase in T20 cricket history.
Gonsalves said the team never became complacent, noting that they had successfully chased several high totals, including scores around 250. He acknowledged that PBKS could have won one or two more matches but stressed that the team gave its best despite the results not going their way.
"If 200 runs were being scored, 200 runs were also being chased and many times we've also chased, we have also chased a lot of runs. 250 and all we've chased. So it was not at all getting complacent. It does happen in a game of cricket. We should have won a game or two more, but really it did not happen. We gave our best," he said.
Gonsalves said the dressing room remained calm despite the results and stressed that the losing streak could not be blamed solely on the bowlers. He pointed out that PBKS's top five batters scored heavily during their winning run but were less productive in the second half, adding that the team's results were the outcome of a collective effort rather than the bowling department alone.
"Regarding the mood in the dressing room, it was absolutely normal, as in any other game. It was absolutely normal. Many people would put this onto the bowling. Many people would blame the bowling for this. In the first six matches, if you see the first four or five batsmen, they scored very heavily. I think if you go by it, it would be around 1000-plus runs. In the second half, the first five batsmen's scoring was much less. So, it's not heavily on the bowlers that the bowlers bowled badly, or it is only because of the bowlers," he said.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) were eventually crowned champions, securing the IPL title in back-to-back seasons. (ANI)
"Nothing about being complacent": PBKS assistant bowling coach on his side's mid-season dip in IPL 2026
