Royal Challengers Bengaluru became the first team to qualify for the playoffs of the Indian Premier Leagueafter defeating Punjab Kings by 23 runs on May 17 at HPCA Stadium. RCB delivered a dominant batting performance and posted a massive total of 222/4 in 20 overs before restricting PBKS to 199/8.
After being asked to bat first, RCB received crucial contributions from several batters. Virat Kohli continued his excellent form with 58 runs off 37 deliveries, smashing four boundaries and three sixes
at a strike rate of 156.76. He provided stability at the top and built momentum during the middle overs.
Venkatesh Iyer played a sensational unbeaten knock of 73 from just 40 balls, striking eight fours and four sixes at an impressive strike rate of 182.50. His aggressive finish helped RCB cross the 220-run mark. For PBKS, Harpreet Brar was the standout bowler with figures of 2/35 in four overs.
Chasing 223, PBKS fought hard but fell short despite a counterattacking innings from Shashank Singh, who scored 56 runs off 27 balls, including four fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 207.41. However, RCB bowlers maintained control in key phases. Rasikh Salam Dar impressed with 3/36, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed 2/38. With this victory, RCB confirmed their playoff berth, while PBKS remained fourth on the points table with 13 points from 13 matches.
Below are the funniest memes from PBKS vs RCB, Match 61 of IPL 2026:
Bhuvi at home 💀
— Pari (@BluntIndianGal) May 17, 2026
Bhuvi away from home💀
Bhuvi in death overs 💀
Bhuvi in powerplay💀💀 pic.twitter.com/yMivgP33BB
Well Played Venkatesh Iyer 😂 pic.twitter.com/pvNvHhLCCw
— Homie (@homelander_yyy) May 17, 2026
Bhuvi in 2016 - 7.4 economy, purple cap
— ` (@KunalVkf18) May 17, 2026
Bhuvi in 2026 - 7.5 economy, purple cap
Unreal longevity 🐐 pic.twitter.com/UFrwMX3cSa
Venkatesh Iyer is a pure Thalapathy Vijay fan
— Sarcasm (@sarcastic_us) May 17, 2026
#PBKSvsRCB pic.twitter.com/9f8c67QuGD
Cox and Bethell ain't leaving Kohli alone. 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/UjKx14buYh
— ` (@broskyxn) May 17, 2026
Padikkal suddenly turns into prime gayle when kohli is at non striker end 😭
— Kevin (@imkevin149) May 17, 2026
49/3 (6 overs) pic.twitter.com/OfSwgILJIm
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 17, 2026
Romario might have hundreds of problems in his life but owning PBKS isn’t one of them pic.twitter.com/EuyeVv29nk
— Pari (@BluntIndianGal) May 17, 2026
