Punjab Kings’ playoff hopes were left hanging by a thread after they slipped to a sixth consecutive defeat.
For a long stretch of IPL 2026, Punjab Kings appeared almost certain to reach the playoffs, and perhaps even finish in the top two. But their campaign has unravelled sharply. On Sunday in Dharamsala, PBKS suffered their sixth straight loss, falling by 23 runs to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in another high-scoring contest. The result made RCB the first side to qualify for the IPL 2026 playoffs, while leaving PBKS in a vulnerable position with only one match left.
RCB controlled the game for most of its duration. They powered to 222 for 4 through a superb half-century from their No. 4. It was not Rajat Patidar, who missed the match, but Venkatesh Iyer, promoted after spending much of the season as an Impact Player. Batting in the top order for the first time in IPL 2026, Venkatesh struck an unbeaten 73 from 40 balls. Virat Kohli made 57 off 37, while Devdutt Padikkal added 45 off 25 to help build RCB’s imposing total.
PBKS began their chase in disastrous fashion as Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rasikh Salam reduced them to 19 for 3 inside four overs. Suryansh Shedge and Marcus Stoinis tried to respond with attacking intent, but the asking rate kept climbing. Shashank Singh hit 56 from 27 balls, though his burst arrived too late. With PBKS needing 40 from the final two overs, Rasikh struck twice in the 20th as they finished on 199 for 8.
RCB boss the powerplay
Harpreet Brar, the left-arm spinner, made an early breakthrough with his second delivery, but that was PBKS’ only success in a powerplay largely owned by RCB. Jacob Bethell’s difficult run with the bat continued when he inside-edged Brar and lost his off bail. Padikkal, however, began with clear intent, launching Brar over long-off for six from his first ball before working Lockie Ferguson away through fine leg.
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Kohli also looked assured from the other end. He struck Azmatullah Omarzai for six over extra cover, though not cleanly from the middle, and greeted Ferguson with a familiar wristy flick over deep midwicket. Arshdeep Singh was then cut away over square leg as RCB closed the powerplay at 61 for 1.
Kohli and Padikkal rebuild strongly
Kohli reached 500 runs in an IPL season for a record ninth time and soon brought up another fifty, his fourth of IPL 2026, to go with a century. It was not his smoothest innings, but he still scored at 156.75, hitting four fours and three sixes while adding 76 from 42 balls for the second wicket with Padikkal.
Padikkal, in excellent touch again, struck Yuzvendra Chahal for two sixes in the seventh over and then went after Omarzai before Brar dismissed him. Kohli produced another of his trademark wrist-flicks to send Shashank over cow corner, but fell shortly after reaching his half-century, flicking Chahal to deep midwicket.
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Venkatesh Iyer show
Venkatesh Iyer had not had many opportunities this season. He had twice come in as an Impact Player, while in the one match he started, he did not get to bat. He started uncertainly here too, reaching only 9 off 10 balls, but a misfield by Arshdeep Singh at mid-off helped his innings come alive. He followed it by striking Brar for consecutive fours and then hitting Chahal for two sixes.
With RCB 157 for 3, Venkatesh moved into his most destructive phase. He scooped Omarzai twice in two balls, then took 6, 4, 0 and 6 off Ferguson to complete his fifty in only 29 deliveries. It was Venkatesh’s first half-century for RCB and pushed them beyond 200, the ninth time PBKS had conceded a 200-plus total this season. Tim David also attacked late, finishing unbeaten on 28 off 12 as RCB posted an above-par score.
PBKS collapse early in the chase
To chase 222, PBKS needed a major contribution from the Prabharya opening pair. Instead, the two lasted only eight balls between them. Shreyas Iyer then fell for 1, leaving the innings in trouble almost before it had started. Bhuvneshwar removed Priyansh Arya in the first over with a hard-length ball that was swiped to mid-on. He then had Prabhsimran Singh toe-edge to first slip before Rasikh produced a fine outswinger to dismiss Shreyas. At 19 for 3 in 3.2 overs, PBKS were already under severe pressure.
Cooper Connolly and Shedge counterattacked with some success. Josh Hazlewood conceded 26 from his first two overs, while Rasikh gave up 11 in his second. Even so, PBKS reached only 49 for 3 at the end of the powerplay, with the required rate rising to 12.42.
Shashank fights, but PBKS lose six straight
Connolly was dismissed by Romario Shepherd, and Shedge soon followed when Suyash Sharma held on to a chance. At 95 for 5 in the 11th over, the match appeared nearly settled. Shashank, despite a difficult tournament up to that point, briefly revived PBKS’ hopes. He struck Suyash for three sixes in the 13th over, attacked Krunal Pandya in the next, and then helicoptered Bhuvneshwar over cow corner to reach a 22-ball fifty.
But the required rate continued to move out of reach. When Stoinis was lbw to a knee-high delivery from Hazlewood, PBKS’ chances were effectively gone. Shashank and Omarzai held up the finish for a little longer, but both were dismissed in the final over as PBKS failed to reach 200. Ricky Ponting’s lonely, dejected expression in the dugout captured the mood. PBKS had 13 points after seven matches; after 13 matches, they still had 13.
