Punjab Kings are finally living up to both the words in their name. Or at least the public perception of those words. Loud, large-hearted, prosperous, spendthrifts. They have the highest run-rate and best batting average this year, but they also concede the most runs per over and the second most per wicket. They scored the highest total of the season hours after conceding the highest total of the season. They have chased down the most 200-plus targets in T20 history, but have also failed to defend the most 200-plus targets.
As their season threatens to unravel with four straight losses at a time when they would have been hopeful of securing a top-two finish by now, PBKS need their biggest player to play like a Punjabi king: bowl Test-match lengths, take early wickets, make some noise.
On a few occasions in recent years, often to the dismay of India, Marco Jansen has got more out of Indian pitches than any bowler in that match. The Guwahati Test last November is a good example. In this IPL, though, despite getting a couple of helpful pitches, Jansen has gone at 10.04 runs an over and averaged 65.83 for six wickets in ten innings.His previous match in particular, against Delhi Capitals (DC) on Monday, when his captain Shreyas Iyer said PBKS’ score of 210 was 30 above par despite heavy dew in the night, was one that Jansen will probably look back on and think was his to bring home. The ball seamed around so much that not one over of spin was bowled in 39 overs. Jansen’s figures were 4-0-45-0.
These returns will rankle because IPL 2026 has been the season for tall fast bowlers succeeding by hitting traditional good and hard lengths. Jasnen has been in the good length of 6-8 metres 28% of the time, and the hard length of 8-10m 21% of the time. His South Africa team-mate Kagiso Rabada has hit these areas 68% of the time for Gujarat Titans.
It is an unfair comparison but one that has been made for a reason: it’s perhaps time for PBKS to use Jansen in a similar way. Not necessarily to frontload him like GT does with Rabada, but to empower him to bowl to his strengths. Jansen has taken the new ball only twice this season, has bowled only 15 of his 40 overs in the powerplay, but that might still be okay given the make-up of the PBKS squad.
Perhaps because of his unique abilities, perhaps because other bowlers need the new-ball assistance more, Jansen has had to bowl primarily with the older ball. It shows in a high percentage of slower balls: 37%. That is not his strength, even though he has better returns with slower balls than pace-on deliveries. Worryingly, he has overpitched 30% of his deliveries, a sign of a yorker gone wrong, a length ball overcooked, or an uncontrolled slower ball.
Jansen is a key player for PBKS. There is no way they will, or should, go into their upcoming big matches without him. The law of averages suggests a turnaround can’t be too far.
PBKS, however, need to find a way to get the best out of him. Their support staff will be working out why he is not getting as much as he usually does from the pitch. They will be looking at various markers – release height, vertical speed, etc – against his baseline. It is not easy to figure out what is amiss, or if anything is at all. They hope something clicks and Jansen nears his best in the coming fixtures. If he does, PBKS’ season could turn around spectacularly again.
