Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured a place in the IPL 2026 playoffs with a 23-run victory over Punjab Kings at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Sunday. The defeat was Punjab’s sixth consecutive loss, leaving their playoff hopes nearly over.
Picking up from where he left in Raipur 😌
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Batting first after Punjab chose to bowl, RCB posted 222/4 in 20 overs. Virat Kohli scored 59 and crossed the 500-run mark for the season, while Venkatesh Iyer played a match-winning unbeaten knock of 73 off 40 balls. Devdutt Padikkal added 45 runs off 25 deliveries and Tim David provided a quick finish in the final overs.
Punjab’s bowling unit struggled once again as the side conceded a 200-plus total for the ninth time this season. Harpreet Brar picked up important wickets, but RCB maintained a strong scoring rate throughout the innings.
Chasing 223, Punjab lost early wickets after a disciplined spell from Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh and skipper Shreyas Iyer were dismissed cheaply, leaving the team under pressure inside the powerplay.
A fighting fifty from Shashank Singh kept Punjab in the contest briefly, but the team eventually finished on 199/8 in 20 overs. Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar led RCB’s bowling effort with crucial breakthroughs.
The win took RCB to 18 points from 13 matches and confirmed their playoff qualification, while Punjab remained on 13 points with their chances of advancing now dependent on other results.
