Punjab beat Bengaluru by five wickets in rain-hit match

Punjab Kings executed a near-flawless bowling performance and backed it up with a steady chase to secure a five-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a rain-affected Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday night.

The match, originally slated for a full 20-over contest, was reduced to 14 overs per side following an evening downpour that delayed the start until 9:45 pm.

Despite the shortened format, the action was intense and showcased the contrasting fortunes of the two sides. Batting first after Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer opted to field, RCB crumbled under sustained pressure and limped to 95 for 9 in their allotted 14 overs.

The only semblance of resistance came from Tim David, who remained unbeaten on 50 off just 26 balls — scoring more than half of his team’s runs.

His powerful cameo, laced with clean strikes including three consecutive sixes off Harpreet Brar, was the lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal batting performance.

Punjab’s bowlers were relentless from the outset. Arshdeep Singh (2/23) set the tone in the very first over, removing the dangerous Phil Salt with a delivery that Salt tried to launch out of the park, only to be caught smartly by keeper Josh Inglis. Arshdeep soon doubled his tally by dismissing Virat Kohli, who fell to a sharp catch by Marco Jansen after misjudging a pull.

The Royal Challengers’ top order failed to fire once again, slumping to 26 for 3 during the powerplay. Liam Livingstone, brought in to provide stability, was dismissed cheaply, further worsening the situation for the hosts.

Yuzvendra Chahal (2/11), returning to his former home ground in RCB colors, made his presence felt by dismissing Jitesh Sharma and later snaring Rajat Patidar, who had shown signs of promise with a few elegant strokes, including a crisp six over mid-wicket off Riley Meredith.

Marco Jansen (2/10) bowled with fire, using his height to generate steep bounce that troubled the batters. He claimed the wickets of Krunal Pandya and Impact Substitute Manoj Bhandage, effectively dismantling RCB’s middle and lower order.

Harpreet Brar (2/24) also chipped in with a couple of wickets, despite being taken apart in one over by Tim David.

Despite David’s valiant half-century, RCB’s final score of 95 was never likely to be enough.

Chasing 96, Punjab Kings experienced a few nervous moments early in their innings. The new IPL batting sensation Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh found it hard to negotiate the lively surface, which offered good bounce for the pacers. Arya, known for his clean hitting, misjudged the pace of the pitch and mistimed a lofted shot straight to Tim David off Josh Hazlewood, who was exceptional with figures of 3/14.

Prabhsimran was caught behind off Bhuvneshwar Kumar, while the in-form skipper Shreyas Iyer’s dismissal to Hazlewood — attempting a cut to a ball too close to his body — added to the tension in the Punjab dugout. With Inglis falling soon after, Punjab were tottering at 53 for 4 and the game seemed to be opening up again.

But just when it looked like RCB might claw their way back, Nehal Wadhera stepped up with a cool-headed and confident innings under pressure. The left-hander batted with maturity beyond his years, scoring an unbeaten 33 off just 19 deliveries. He took the attack to the spinners, especially Suyash Sharma, whom he dispatched for two towering sixes that broke the back of the chase.

Wadhera’s calm presence, coupled with some smart strike rotation, helped Punjab recover from their mid-innings wobble. He anchored the rest of the innings seamlessly, guiding the team past the target in just 12.1 overs with five wickets to spare.

The win lifted Punjab Kings to 10 points and propelled them to second place on the IPL 2025 points table, behind Delhi Capitals.

The victory also kept RCB winless at home this season, extending their wait for a turnaround.

Meanwhile, five-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings have signed South Africa batter Dewald Brevis as a replacement for injured uncapped left-arm fast-bowler Gurjapneet Singh for the rest of the ongoing 2025 season.

Brevis has played 81 T20 matches and scored 1787 runs with a highest score of 162. He made his T20I debut for South Africa in 2023 and has played two matches so far. Brevis was previously part of Mumbai Indians (MI), where he played 10 matches, and will join CSK.

It also helps CSK that they had one overseas spot still left to fill in their IPL 2025 squad.

Agencies