#TATAIPL-2025-34 : Nehal Wadhera, Bowlers Help Punjab Kings Beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru By 5 Wickets In A Rain-Hit Encounter

Picture : IPL / X

The impressive Punjab Kings beat hosts Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a rain-hit 14-over a side Tata IPL 2025 encounter in Bengaluru to grab two crucial points.

Punjab Skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bowl first . And to Iyer’s delight his bowlers delivered top class show from the start . RCB were rattled from the beginning with early wickets of dangerous duo of Phil Salt ( 4), Virat Kohli (1). Skipper Rajat Patidar fell after scoring 23 . Liam Livingstone ( 4) , Jitesh Sharma ( 2) . RCB batting were in tatters . Krunal Pandya (1).

Had not Big Aussie Tim David not played lone brilliant hand of 50 ( 26 balls, 5 fours, 3 sixes) RCB were in danger of not reaching 50. David was superb on a pitch where others struggled . Manoj Bhandage ( 1) , Bhuvneshwar Kumar ( 8) , Yash Dayal ( 0) ,Josh Hazlewood not out ( 0), RCB finishing at 95/ 9 in 14 overs.

Punjab Kings : Arshdeep Singh 2/ 23 ( 3 overs) , Xavier Bartlett 1/ 26 ( 3 overs) , Marco Jansen 2/ 10 ( 3 overs), Yuzvendra Chahal 2/ 11( 3 overs) , Harpreet Brar 2/ 25 ( 2 overs)

In reply to the tricky chase , Punjab Kings lost wickets a bit tooo many –  Priyansh Arya ( 16) , Prabhsimran Singh ( 13) , Skipper Shreyas Iyer ( 7), Josh Inglis ( 14), Shashnak Singh ( 1) sending some jitters in the Kings dug-out  .

But the calm head of  Nehal Wadhera not out 33 ( 19 balls, 3 fours,  3sixes0 along with Marcus Stoinis not out  7 saw the Kings home by 5 wickets . Punjab Kings  reaching 98/ 5 in 12. 1 overs.

RCB Bowling : Josh Hazlewood was superb up- front 3/ 14 ( 3 overs) , Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2/ 26 ( 3  overs) , Yash Dayal 0/18 ( 2.1 overs) , Krunal Pandya 0/ 10 ( 1 over) ,  Suyash Sharma 0/ 25 ( 3 overs)

Match: IPL 2025, 34th Match
Venue: Bengaluru | Date: April 18, 2025