The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) beat the Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 23 runs in Match 61 of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala.
Being put into bat first, the defending champions were dented early as Harpreet Brar dismissed Jacob Bethell. That brought Devdutt Padikkal out to the crease, who, along with Virat Kohli, went after the Kings’ bowlers. The pair stitched a stand of 76 runs off 42 balls before Padikkal fell for a score of 45.
That brought Venkatesh Iyer out to the crease, who stitched a stand of 60 runs off 35 balls with Kohli. The veteran once again played second fiddle as Venkatesh brought out the fireworks. Kohli fell for 58 off 37 balls before Tim David joined Venkatesh in adding the fireworks before falling for 28 off 12 balls in the final ball of the innings. Venkatesh finished unbeaten on 73 off 40 balls, his first half-century in red, as RCB reached a total of 222 for 4 in their 20 overs.
The Jitesh Sharma-led side carried that momentum into their bowling innings. Bhuvneshwar Kumar removed both openers in two overs, and Rasikh Salam took the prized wicket of PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer in the fourth over, leaving them reeling at 19/3. Cooper Connolly and Suryansh Shedge added vital runs with a 43-run stand but fell short for 37 and 35, respectively. Shahsank Singh scored a valiant 56 off 27 balls, but that was not enough as the defending champions romped home.
The win ensured that RCB has become the first team to qualify for the playoffs of the 2026 Indian Premier League. The Punjab Kings have been handed their sixth consecutive loss in 2026 and will need to get two points from their final game against the Lucknow Super Giants on May 23.
Here are the top stats and milestones from Match 61:
- Virat Kohli: Joint-most 50+ partnerships in IPL 2026 – 210
- Virat Kohli: Most runs for a batter against a single opponent – 1215 vs PBKS
- Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal: Joint second-most 50+ stands in an IPL season – 6
- Devdutt Padikkal: Completed 1500 runs for RCB
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Second most 200+ totals in Men’s T20 cricket - 44
- Punjab Kings: Most 200+ totals conceded in Men’s T20 cricket - 46
- Shreyas Iyer: 100th IPL Match as captain
- Cooper Connolly: Most sixes in a maiden IPL season – 32
- Shashank Singh: Went past 50 IPL sixes
- IPL 2026: Most 200+ totals in a single edition – 53
