Royal Challengers Bengaluru produced a dominant all-round performance to dismantle Punjab Kings by eight wickets and secure their place in the final of the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). In a high-stakes knockout clash, RCB’s bowlers set the tone early, bundling PBKS out for a paltry 101 before chasing the target down with ease.
𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙖 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙨 ❤
🎥 Captain Rajat Patidar fittingly finishes off in style as #RCB are just one step away from the 🏆
Updates ▶ https://t.co/FhocIrg42l#PBKSvRCB | #Qualifier1 | #TheLastMile | @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/hXhslIqcDZ
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 29, 2025
Nothing went Punjab’s way from the outset. After losing the toss and being asked to bat first, their innings unraveled quickly. Both openers fell cheaply, and the innings never recovered. Josh Hazlewood dealt twin blows by dismissing Shreyas Iyer and Josh Inglis, while young spinner Suyash Sharma sliced through the middle and lower order, finishing with three wickets in a clinical spell.
Phil Salt led the assault with a flurry of boundaries, going after Arshdeep Singh in the powerplay. While Kyle Jamieson briefly lifted Punjab’s spirits by dismissing Virat Kohli in a superb second over and troubling Mayank Agarwal, the New Zealand quick couldn’t maintain the pressure. His next over was taken apart for 21 runs, swinging momentum firmly back in RCB’s favor.
Salt continued his fireworks, reaching a 23-ball half-century and forming a brisk partnership with Agarwal. Though Agarwal departed after playing a few eye-catching strokes, the outcome was a foregone conclusion. The RCB skipper returned to finish the job, striking the winning runs to seal an emphatic victory with plenty to spare.
For Punjab Kings, it was a performance to forget, a combination of poor decisions, untidy batting, and a lack of fight. In contrast, RCB showcased a ruthless edge, firing on all fronts as they continue their push for playoff qualification.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Rajat Patidar(c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma
Punjab Kings (Playing XI): Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Josh Inglis(w), Shreyas Iyer(c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Kyle Jamieson
