Punjab Kings delivered a near-flawless bowling performance that formed the bedrock of their five-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a rain-truncated IPL encounter on Friday.
The match, reduced to 14 overs per side due to an evening downpour, began at 9:45 PM. RCB, batting first, stumbled to a paltry 95 for nine. Tim David was the lone bright spot for the home team, scoring an unbeaten 50 off 26 balls—more than half of RCB’s total.
In response, Punjab Kings chased down the target in 12.1 overs, finishing at 98 for five. The win prolonged RCB’s winless streak at home this season and propelled Punjab to second place on the points table with 10 points, trailing only Delhi Capitals.
Openers Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh faced early struggles on a lively pitch that offered sharp bounce for the pacers. Arya, attempting a hit through the line, misjudged a delivery from Josh Hazlewood (3/14) and was caught by Tim David. Prabhsimran was dismissed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and the team suffered a bigger blow when in-form skipper Shreyas Iyer edged Hazlewood to wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma while attempting a cut shot.
Josh Inglis also fell cheaply, reducing Punjab to 53 for four and bringing the chase into uncertain territory. However, Nehal Wadhera (33* off 19) emerged as the anchor, showcasing maturity under pressure. He took on leg-spinner Suyash Sharma for a couple of big sixes and guided the team safely to the finish line.
Earlier, Shreyas Iyer’s decision to bowl first proved effective as Punjab’s bowlers dominated from the outset. Arshdeep Singh (2/23) dismissed Phil Salt in the very first over, with wicketkeeper Inglis taking a sharp catch. Marco Jansen pulled off a stunning running catch to dismiss Virat Kohli, while Liam Livingstone departed soon after, leaving RCB at 26 for three in the powerplay.
Yuzvendra Chahal (2/11), returning to his former IPL home ground at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, made an immediate impact by removing Jitesh Sharma. Rajat Patidar offered brief resistance with some elegant strokes, including a pick-up six off Bartlett, but was dismissed for 23 by Chahal.
RCB’s innings never gained momentum, with Jansen (2/10) further denting the middle order by dismissing Krunal Pandya and Impact Player Manoj Bhandage using well-directed short balls.
Despite a flurry of sixes from Tim David, including three consecutive hits off Harpreet Brar (2 wickets), RCB’s total remained well below par.
Punjab’s disciplined bowling and calm chase underlined their title credentials, while RCB will need to regroup quickly to revive their campaign.
