Dharmshala, May 17 (IANS) All-rounder Venkatesh Iyer remained unbeaten at 73 while Virat Kohli smashed a brilliant fifty as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) posted 222/4 in 20 overs against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamshala on Sunday.

After being asked to bat first, RCB began cautiously, with Virat Kohli and Jacob Bethell taking time to settle on a surface that offered some early movement. The side managed only 17 runs in the first two overs as Punjab Kings’ bowlers maintained disciplined lines.

Bethell looked uncomfortable from the start but attempted to shift momentum in the third over with a boundary. However, Harpreet Brar struck immediately after as the left-hander was clean bowled trying to attack again. Bethell’s difficult run with the bat continued as he departed for 11 off seven deliveries.

Devdutt Padikkal, however, ensured RCB did not lose momentum. The left-hander attacked right from the beginning and smashed a six off the very first ball he faced. Kohli too joined the attack quickly, launching Lockie Ferguson for a maximum in the following over. The pair mixed aggressive strokeplay with smart strike rotation to keep the scoreboard moving at a healthy rate.

Padikkal looked in complete control during his entertaining knock, regularly punishing anything short or wide. Kohli, at the other end, played with fluency and kept the pressure firmly on Punjab Kings’ bowlers. Their aggressive approach helped RCB reach 61/1 at the end of the power-play.

Punjab Kings introduced experienced spinner Yuzvendra Chahal in an attempt to slow down the scoring rate, but the move backfired as the veteran leg-spinner conceded 21 runs in his opening over. Kohli and Padikkal continued to dominate and added 76 runs for the second wicket before Brar once again provided the breakthrough.

In the 10th over, Brar produced another impressive delivery to dismiss Padikkal, who missed out on a half-century by just five runs. The left-hander played a brisk knock of 45 off 25 balls, hitting four boundaries and three sixes.

Despite losing Padikkal, Kohli maintained the momentum and continued to score freely. The former RCB skipper brought up his half-century in just 31 balls with a quick single in the 12th over. He looked set for a much bigger score as he combined well with Venkatesh Iyer.

Iyer initially struggled to find timing but gradually settled into his innings. The left-hander shifted gears in the 14th over by hitting Brar for two consecutive boundaries before taking on Chahal in the next over with two towering sixes.

Chahal eventually struck back on the final ball of the over when Kohli miscued a shot to deep mid-wicket after a well-made 58 off 37 deliveries. His innings included four fours and three sixes and once again provided a solid platform for RCB.

Following Kohli’s dismissal, Iyer took complete control of the innings alongside Tim David. The all-rounder attacked the Punjab bowlers in the death overs and completed his half-century in just 29 balls. Ferguson, in particular, struggled badly with his lengths as Iyer capitalised with clean hitting on both sides of the wicket.

Iyer remained unbeaten on 73 off 40 balls, smashing eight fours and four sixes in a superb finishing effort. Tim David also played a valuable cameo, scoring 28 off only 12 deliveries as RCB crossed the 220-run mark.

For Punjab Kings, Harpreet Brar was the standout bowler with figures of 2/35 from his four overs, while Chahal picked up the important wicket of Kohli despite an expensive outing.

Brief scores:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru 222/4 in 20 overs (Venkatesh Iyer 73*, Virat Kohli 58, Devdutt Padikkal 45; Harpreet Brar 2-35, Yuzvendra Chahal 1-42) against Punjab Kings

–IANS

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