New Delhi: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) delivered an impressive performance in the 61st match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, defeating Punjab Kings at HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on May 17th. This victory marked the sixth consecutive loss for Punjab Kings.
RCB elected to bat first, with Jacob Bethell making an early exit after scoring 11 runs. Virat Kohli showcased his skills, contributing a solid 58 runs off 37 deliveries. Devdutt Padikkal further supported the innings with 45 runs, while Venkatesh Iyer remained unbeaten at 73 runs off 40 balls. Tim David added 28 runs, enabling RCB to post a formidable total of 222 runs.
On the bowling front, Harpreet Brar led the way for Punjab Kings, securing two wickets. Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal each chipped in with a wicket.
In the run chase, Punjab Kings struggled right from the start, with Priyansh Arya dismissed for a duck and Prabhsimran Singh managing only two runs. Cooper Connolly provided some resistance with 37 runs off 22 balls, but Shreyas Iyer followed suit with a disappointing score of one run.
The collapse of the top order led to reliance on Marcus Stoinis and Shashank Singh, who rallied the innings. Stoinis scored 37 runs off 25 deliveries, while Suryansh Shedge also contributed 37 runs. Shashank Singh’s efforts kept Punjab in contention, but he was ultimately dismissed after scoring 56 runs off 27 balls. Punjab Kings fell short, resulting in RCB’s victory.
