Punjab Kings’ skipper Shreyas Iyer (ANI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer struck a defiant and philosophical tone after another painful defeat, insisting that belief and attitude remain unchanged even as Punjab Kings’s playoff hopes slipped further away following a 23-run loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Dharamsala.Reflecting on where the match unravelled, Iyer admitted the early damage was decisive. “Obviously, they got off to a great start and then started taking on the bowlers right after the powerplay,” he said, acknowledging RCB’s dominance with the bat. He pointed out that the target itself was not beyond reach in isolation but execution in key phases proved costly. “Getting to 222 was a commendable performance and we weren’t able to take wickets in the bowling that much… I think the match was lost in the powerplay,” he added.Punjab’s chase never fully recovered after early wickets left them under pressure. Iyer highlighted the absence of a strong foundation, noting, “We were three down and the majority of our run scorers were Prabhsimran and Priyansh. The starts they used to give us in the powerplay, obviously we couldn’t get this time and also me coming in and getting out early.”He still acknowledged the resistance shown in the middle order, saying, “Really disappointed, but commendable performance by Shashank and Stoinis and also a few others in the middle. I think we were up there with almost 10 an over, but yeah, fell short. Tremendous bowling by Bhuvi and Hazlewood.”Despite Punjab Kings now enduring six consecutive defeats, Iyer refused to let results define mindset or momentum going forward. “No, definitely. I’m always positive irrespective of the results. It doesn’t dictate how my personality is and I always approach with a strong attitude,” he said.His most striking reflection, however, underlined his broader outlook amid the slump. “I’m not someone who dwells too much in the past. This is over, this is gone. Tomorrow again I’m going to see the sunrise and there’s always light at the end of the tunnel,” he added.Even as the numbers continue to stack against PBKS, Iyer’s words framed a captain still searching for belief in the middle of a collapsing campaign.