The RCB vs. PBKS IPL 2025 showdown was greatly impacted by rain, leading to both teams battling it out in a shortened 14-over match on Friday. When the toss finally happened in Bengaluru, Punjab Kings' skipper Shreyas Iyer elected to field first. The Royal Challengers Bangalore cRCBc found themselves in deep trouble right from the beginning, losing opener Phil Salt for just 4 runs within the first over.
As skipper Rajat Patidar entered the crease, hopes were high for a stabilizing partnership with Virat Kohli. However, those hopes were dashed when Arshdeep Singh struck again in the third over to dismiss Kohli for just 1 run, leaving RCB struggling at 21/2 in 2.4 overs. Patidar, despite playing some good shots, failed to build substantial partnerships and eventually departed for 23 off 18 balls in the eighth over. Tim David emerged as the lone pillar of resistance, finishing unbeaten on 50 runs as RCB managed to post a modest total of 95/9 in their allocated 14 overs.
In pursuit of 96 runs for victory, Punjab Kings comfortably chased down the target, reaching 98/5 in 12.1 overs, securing a comprehensive five-wicket win. Reflecting on the disappointing result in the post-match ceremony, Patidar expressed his frustration with his team's hapless batting display, pinpointing the lack of partnerships and the recurring issue of losing wickets at crucial junctures.
Among the RCB batsmen, only Patidar and David managed to notch double-digit scores, with the rest falling cheaply. The disappointments included early dismissals for Salt, Kohli, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Manoj Bhandage, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Yash Dayal.
Patidar, visibly dejected by the defeat, lamented, "Partnerships are important in batting. We have been losing wickets in intervals." Meanwhile, for Punjab Kings, Nehal Wadhera's unbeaten 33 off 19 balls, inclusive of the match-winning six, was a standout performance that guided his team to victory.
After this result, RCB finds themselves in the fourth position on the IPL 2025 points table, with four wins and three losses. On the other hand, Punjab Kings currently sit in the second spot, having secured five wins and two defeats so far in the season.
Notably, Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood's bowling efforts nearly turned the tide in RCB's favor, as he claimed three wickets in his spell while conceding only 14 runs in three overs. Despite his valiant effort, RCB fell short, and Hazlewood will be disappointed by the eventual outcome of the match.
