Royal Challengers Bengaluru Outclass Punjab Kings with a 7-Wicket Victory in Mohali
In a commanding performance at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Mohali, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) secured a convincing 7-wicket victory over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 37th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on April 20, 2025. Anchored by Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 73 off 54 balls and Devdutt Padikkal’s aggressive 61 off 35, RCB chased down PBKS’s 157 for 6 with seven balls to spare, maintaining their perfect away record with a fifth win in five matches. This triumph propelled RCB to third on the points table, while PBKS, despite a spirited batting effort, slipped to a costly defeat, denting their playoff aspirations.
RCB captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and elected to bowl first, a decision influenced by the dew factor and the venue’s reputation for favoring chasing sides. RCB reinstated Devdutt Padikkal at No. 3 after omitting him in their previous rain-curtailed loss to PBKS, while PBKS retained their spin-heavy attack, with Yuzvendra Chahal, Harpreet Brar, and Marcus Stoinis in the lineup. PBKS coach Ricky Ponting opted to keep Josh Inglis over Glenn Maxwell, citing Inglis’s strength against spin, a move that raised eyebrows given Maxwell’s experience.
Sent in to bat, PBKS aimed to capitalize on their explosive powerplay unit, boasting the season’s best run rate of 11. Openers Priyansh Arya (16 off 11) and Prabhsimran Singh (33 off 17) provided a brisk start, racing to 42 for 1 in 4.2 overs. However, RCB’s spinners, Krunal Pandya (2 for 25) and Suyash Sharma (2 for 26), applied the brakes in the middle overs, triggering a collapse from 62 for 1 to 114 for 6 by the 13.5th over. Shreyas Iyer (10 off 8), Josh Inglis (6 off 5), and Nehal Wadhera (7 off 5) fell cheaply, unable to convert starts on a pitch that Ponting later described as “a whole lot better than 157.”
Shashank Singh’s unbeaten 31 off 33, including a six off the final ball, and Marcus Stoinis’s 8 off 8 provided late resistance, but RCB’s death bowling was relentless. Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivered a masterclass, conceding just 28 runs in the last four overs with eight yorkers and only one boundary—a six off the final delivery. According to ESPNcricinfo, PBKS’s failure to capitalize on starts, with no batter reaching a fifty, left them at a below-par 157 for 6.
RCB’s bowling unit, described by Patidar as “beautiful” in execution, was clinical in restricting PBKS. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1 for 29) struck early, dismissing Arya, while Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma stifled the middle order, maintaining economies under seven. Hazlewood’s (1 for 22) pinpoint yorkers and Kumar’s variations in the death overs ensured PBKS couldn’t break free, with fans on X praising the duo for conceding just 28 runs in 24 balls. Patidar credited the bowlers’ tight lines and improved fielding, noting, “We had a chat last night about our fielding. Everyone put in their efforts.”
Chasing 158, RCB faced an early setback when Arshdeep Singh dismissed Phil Salt in the first over, continuing his dominance over Salt with a fourth T20 dismissal. However, Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal forged a match-defining 103-run second-wicket partnership off 69 balls, steering RCB to victory with minimal fuss. Kohli, the chase master, anchored the innings with 73* off 54, including seven fours and a six, breaking David Warner’s record with his 67th IPL fifty-plus score. His calculated approach, hitting five fours in the powerplay, set the tone.
Padikkal, playing for his home state, was the aggressor, smashing 61 off 35 with five fours and four sixes. His first IPL fifty since May 2023, against PBKS for Rajasthan Royals, included a carved four off Arshdeep, an all-run four, and a six off Chahal. Despite being beaten on the upper-cut first ball, Padikkal’s fearless stroke-play, including a spanked four off Harpreet Brar, eased the pressure. He fell to Harpreet Brar (1 for 27), but Kohli, alongside Jitesh Sharma (6* off 3), sealed the chase in 18.5 overs with a single off Nehal Wadhera, who bowled the final over. Jitesh’s six over midwicket off Wadhera sparked celebrations in the RCB camp.
PBKS’s bowling attack struggled to contain RCB’s batters. Arshdeep Singh (1 for 26) struck early, but Xavier Bartlett (0 for 38) and Chahal (0 for 36) were expensive, with Padikkal targeting the latter for a six. Harpreet Brar was the pick, conceding 27 runs in four overs, but PBKS’s inability to break the Kohli-Padikkal stand proved costly. Shreyas Iyer admitted post-match that their middle order, including himself, needed to “take the bull by the horns” to capitalize on starts.
Virat Kohli, named Player of the Match, emphasized the importance of the two points, stating, “When you go from eight to ten [points], it makes a massive difference in the points table.” He praised the team’s auction strategy and their ability to adapt after early learnings, adding, “One partnership is enough in a T20 chase.” Padikkal highlighted the confidence gained from batting with Kohli, saying, “It makes your job very easy. Playing for my home state and city is very special.”
Shreyas Iyer, reflecting on PBKS’s loss, acknowledged their struggles with setting targets and adapting to conditions, urging his middle order to step up. Ponting, despite the defeat, noted the pitch’s potential for higher scores, suggesting PBKS’s 157 was underwhelming. Fans on X lauded RCB’s “clinical chase” and “air-tight death bowling,” with one user noting, “Top-class bowling from Bhuvi and Hazlewood in the death overs.”
RCB’s fifth win in eight matches, earning them 10 points, elevated them to third on the IPL 2025 points table, underlining their playoff credentials. PBKS, with five wins from eight games, remained in a precarious position, level on points with RCB but hampered by a poorer net run rate. The loss marked PBKS’s second defeat in three games, intensifying the pressure ahead of their next clash against Kolkata Knight Riders.
RCB’s emphatic victory, their fifth straight away win, showcased their depth and adaptability, with Kohli’s form and their bowling unit firing in unison. Their next challenge is against Chennai Super Kings in Bengaluru, where they’ll aim to break their home jinx after three consecutive losses at Chinnaswamy. PBKS, grappling with middle-order inconsistencies, face a must-win game against KKR on April 26 to keep their playoff hopes alive. As IPL 2025 heads into its business end, RCB’s dominant display in Mohali will serve as a warning to rivals, while PBKS must regroup to rediscover their early-season spark.
