Royal Challengers Bengaluru continued their dominant form as they beat Punjab Kings by 23 runs in the 61st match of the Indian Premier League 2026. RCB were batting first and lost the wicket of Bethell early but Virat Kohli along with Padikkal put up a partnership and put them in a dominant position. Virat Kohli was dismissed for 58 while Venkatesh Iyer also smashed a half century. Tim David provided the perfect finish with 28 runs from 12 balls as RCB ended up with 222/4 at the end of the first innings. Chasing the target, Punjab Kings lost three quick wickets in the powerplay. Connolly and Shedge put up a partnership but it was not enough as Punjab kept losing wickets and finished with 199/8 and fell short in the end.
RCB – 222/4 (Venkatesh Iyer 73*, Harpreet Brar – 2/35) beat PBKS 199/8 (Shashank 56 , Rasikh 3/36)
Shreyas Iyer | Punjab Kings skipper:
(on where the game started to unravel) Obviously, they got off to a great start and then started taking on the bowlers right after the powerplay. I think getting to 222 was a commendable performance and we weren’t able to take wickets in the bowling that much, but yeah, I think the match was lost in the powerplay. (on the difficult chase after losing early wickets) Absolutely. We were three down and the majority of our run scorers were Prabhsimran and Priyansh. The starts they used to give us in the powerplay, obviously we couldn’t get this time and also me coming in and getting out early. Really disappointed, but commendable performance by Shashank and Stoinis and also a few others in the middle. I think we were up there with almost 10 an over, but yeah, fell short. Tremendous bowling by Bhuvi and Hazlewood. (on staying positive ahead of the next game against Lucknow) No, definitely. I’m always positive irrespective of the results. It doesn’t dictate how my personality is and I always approach with a strong attitude. I’m not someone who dwells too much in the past. This is over, this is gone. Tomorrow again I’m going to see the sunrise and there’s always light at the end of the tunnel.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar:
(on his rhythm and bowling performance) Look, I was in a good rhythm, of course. Getting wickets in previous matches always boosts your confidence. It’s one of the venues where the ball does something at the start and if you can make the most of it, it can be difficult for a team to chase it down or even if you’re bowling in the first innings, it gets difficult for a team to build a high score. (on practicing yorkers) I think it’s not about doing it before the match, but what I do throughout the year makes a difference. When you come to the IPL setup, you bowl to world-class batsmen and you nail them, so it gives you confidence that you can get it there as well. It’s not just about bowling right before the match or starting practice in the tournament, it’s about what you do throughout the year. (on bowling alongside Josh Hazlewood) It makes a big difference. The experience he has and the skill he has make a big difference for us. I think we’re complementing each other with the skills I have and he has, so it’s going well so far. But again, credit goes to Rasikh as well. I think he’s going under the radar, but the way he’s delivering under pressure in the powerplay, I think he’s doing well. (on qualifying for the playoffs) It feels good. I think that’s what you play for. If you can qualify in the first two, it’s of course a great thing. You can see the emotion because we have been working hard all these two months and when you qualify, it’s of course an emotional moment. Looking forward to the next matches as well.
Venkatesh Iyer | Player of the Match:
(on receiving the award despite limited opportunities this season) Yeah, technically it’s my second game being part of the playing XI and today’s the first time I properly got to bat. So that’s the more pleasing thing than getting a Man of the Match. And also the two points, so really happy. (on joining RCB after spending time with KKR) They’ve welcomed me very well. Obviously, it’s a very professional setup and the cricket part of it, the management, it’s just unbelievable. All credit to Mo Bobat and DK, the way they have taken care of the boys, it’s just unbelievable. On top of that, the brand of cricket that RCB plays is something that excites me a lot. I’ve spent a lot of time at KKR, so yeah, there will be an emotional bond, but I’ve really felt at home here. (on waiting for opportunities in a strong batting lineup) I’d lie if I said that I was not frustrated or not wanting to play. I was really wanting to go out there and play because for players like us, it’s the opportunity to play in the IPL. We want to play, we want to do well. But I do understand, I’ve been here long enough to understand that this is a champion team and to tinker with the combination is not always right. But I always tried to create an impact on the coaching staff to make me play and I will deliver. I’m really happy that I got my opportunity. (on his innings after starting slowly) I think, yeah, it was scratchy at the beginning, but I was lucky to be batting alongside Virat Kohli. Obviously the mindset shift that he’s able to communicate to you. I think with all the legends of the game, one thing that stands out is the communication, that’s the key. If you’re able to communicate well with your partner because it’s two people out there scoring runs together for the team, so that was the key. (on taking time to settle in) Yeah, absolutely. I’ve been playing here, but I played after a long time this season. I actually needed those first few balls just to get into the groove. Once I understood the wicket and I had the freedom to go after the bowling, then I think it was good for me.
Jitesh Sharma | RCB stand-in skipper:
(on whether the chase got tricky at any stage) No, I think we were all in control. In the batting and the bowling, we were in control. (on the mood in the team at the halfway stage with 222 on the board) We were not under pressure, frankly speaking. We were in control. We know what we want to do on this wicket because we batted on that and the batters had given very good feedback on what was working on that wicket. So we planned particularly for particular batsmen and we were executing that properly. (on his contribution as captain) No, it’s okay, it’s fine. It’s part of my job. Whatever my management has given, I have to do and give my hundred percent, that’s it. (on having experienced bowlers in the side while captaining and keeping wickets) We are privileged that they are playing for RCB and with that I got so many senior players to guide me in the centre when I’m doing captaincy to those bowlers. I think that’s great. It’s a great experience to play with those boys. (on captaining against RCB previously and now leading them) Yes, obviously. (on the next game and Rajat Patidar’s return) My actual skipper is doing really well. He’s going to captain next game. I think our RCB motto is very simple - one game at a time. That’s the thing. We are not thinking ahead or anything. We just want to play our best cricket in every match, that’s it.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru retain their top position and with this win they have also qualified officially for the playoffs. On the other hand, Punjab Kings suffered their sixth loss in a row and will now need to win the last game along with other results going their way to have a chance to qualify. It was a fascinating game of cricket.
