Date: April 20, 2025
Venue: Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, Chandigarh
Match: PBKS vs RCB, Match 37, IPL 2025
Result: RCB won by 7 wickets
RCB fans, rejoice! The Royal Challengers Bengaluru put on a clinical performance to defeat Punjab Kings by 7 wickets and keep their playoff hopes alive. The boys in red and gold chased down 157 in just 18.5 overs, showing grit, class, and domination on a tricky pitch in Mullanpur.
đź’Ą Punjab Kings Post a Modest 157
After being put into bat by RCB skipper Rajat Patidar, PBKS got off to a fiery start. Prabhsimran Singh (33 off 17) and Priyansh Arya (22 off 15) attacked the powerplay, putting up 62 runs in the first 6 overs.
However, the RCB spin duo—Krunal Pandya (2/25) and Suyash Sharma (2/26)—choked the middle order. Shreyas Iyer’s early dismissal and a late-order slowdown left PBKS at 157/6. Only Shashank Singh (31*) and Marco Jansen (25*) showed some resistance.
🧊 King Kohli & Padikkal Seal the Deal
RCB’s reply got off to a shaky start with Philip Salt dismissed for just 1. But Virat Kohli, ever the anchor, stepped up with a calm yet commanding 73 off 54 balls*, playing the perfect foil to the explosive Devdutt Padikkal, who smashed 61 off just 35!
Their 103-run partnership took the game away from PBKS as Kohli orchestrated the chase with class and control, sealing the game with 7 wickets and 7 balls to spare.
🔥 Key Moments
- Krunal’s double strike dented Punjab’s early momentum
- Suyash Sharma’s spin web in the middle overs kept PBKS under pressure
- Padikkal’s explosive knock lit up the chase
- Kohli’s unbeaten 73 ensured a smooth and steady finish
🏆 Player of the Match: Virat Kohli
A vintage performance by the former skipper. Calm under pressure, aggressive when needed, and finishing the game like a true legend!
🏏 Punjab Kings Innings – 157/6 (20 Overs)
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Priyansh Arya | 22 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 146.67 | c Tim David b Krunal Pandya |
| Prabhsimran Singh | 33 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 194.12 | c Tim David b Krunal Pandya |
| Shreyas Iyer (c) | 6 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 60.00 | c Krunal Pandya b Romario Shepherd |
| Josh Inglis (wk) | 29 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 170.59 | b Suyash Sharma |
| Nehal Wadhera | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 83.33 | run out (Tim David/Kohli/Jitesh Sharma) |
| Shashank Singh | 31 | 33 | 1 | 0 | 93.94 | not out |
| Marcus Stoinis | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 | b Suyash Sharma |
| Marco Jansen | 25 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 125.00 | not out |
| Extras | 5 (1 lb, 4 w) | |||||
| Total | 157/6 in 20 overs |
🏏 RCB Bowling
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 4 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 6.50 |
| Yash Dayal | 2 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 11.00 |
| Josh Hazlewood | 4 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 9.80 |
| Krunal Pandya | 4 | 0 | 25 | 2 | 6.20 |
| Romario Shepherd | 2 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 9.00 |
| Suyash Sharma | 4 | 0 | 26 | 2 | 6.50 |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Innings – 159/3 (18.5 Overs)
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philip Salt | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 | c Josh Inglis b Arshdeep Singh |
| Virat Kohli | 73 | 54 | 7 | 1 | 135.19 | not out |
| Devdutt Padikkal | 61 | 35 | 5 | 4 | 174.29 | c Nehal Wadhera b Harpreet Brar |
| Rajat Patidar (c) | 12 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 92.31 | c Marco Jansen b Chahal |
| Jitesh Sharma (wk) | 11 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 137.50 | not out |
| Extras | 1 (1 w) | |||||
| Total | 159/3 in 18.5 overs |
PBKS Bowling
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arshdeep Singh | 3 | 0 | 26 | 1 | 8.70 |
| Xavier Bartlett | 3 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 9.30 |
| Harpreet Brar | 4 | 0 | 27 | 1 | 6.80 |
| Marco Jansen | 3 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 6.70 |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | 4 | 0 | 36 | 1 | 9.00 |
| Marcus Stoinis | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13.00 |
| Nehal Wadhera | 0.5 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 10.80 |