The match between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS), which was cut short because of rain, was very exciting at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. What happened was a tale of two extremes: horror for the batters and a dream for the bowlers. Even cricket fans on platforms like Billy 777 were buzzing with excitement as PBKS won by scoring 96 runs in the last over, which was enough to beat the low score.
RCB’s Batting Collapse: A Nightmare Comes True
When Shreyas Iyer won the toss, he chose to bowl first, which turned out to be a great move because PBKS’ bowlers destroyed RCB’s batting order. Even though the home team was already limited by the fewer overs, they gave up under constant pressure and were shocked to find themselves 42 for 7 at one point.
Strikes by Arshdeep Singh Early
In the first over, Arshdeep Singh set the tone by quickly getting rid of both Phil Salt and Virat Kohli. Salt started off with a confident single but was caught off guard by a pull. Kohli, who had just run down the pitch and was trying to take on a short ball, was caught in the deep.
Jansen and Chahal Come to the party.
Yuzvendra Chahal fooled RCB’s middle order with his changes, going back to his classic spinning deliveries. Rajat Patidar got hit by a couple of hard shots and then top-edged a slog sweep. Jitesh Sharma and Krunal Pandya both made mistakes with their pulls.
Marco Jansen trapped Manoj Bhandage lbw by using his height to get a high bounce. This left RCB in a mess at 42 for 7. The guests were about to be bowled out, which would have been the lowest IPL score ever (49), but Tim David had other ideas.
Tim David’s Lonely Fight
David played a defensive innings and hit 50 runs off of just 26 balls without being out. His late blitz, which included three straight sixes off of Harpreet Brar in the last over, helped RCB get to 95 for 9, a score that at one point didn’t seem likely.
The chase by PBKS: tense but in control
Even though the goal was small, PBKS’s chase wasn’t easy. With their straight lines and sharp bounce, RCB’s bowlers, especially Josh Hazlewood, made things hard.
Punjab Gets the Jitters Early
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yash Dayal were tough for Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya. Both starters were hit by mistimed shots. When Hazlewood came in, the game turned into a tense fight. PBKS needed steady hands at 33 for 2.
Masterclass with Hazlewood
The fast bowler from Australia was almost impossible to beat. He got rid of Shreyas Iyer and Josh Inglis with sharp, rising balls. With 3 for 14 in three overs, he kept PBKS in check. They needed 43 off of the last 36 balls to win.
The calm end of Wadhera
Nehal Wadhera had a hard time at first with Suyash Sharma’s changes, but he found his flow with a key reverse-swept boundary. As the pressure built, he went after the loose balls and hit a six-over fine leg and a scorching cover drive that got PBKS close enough to touch.
As Glenn Maxwell’s substitute, Marcus Stoinis played his first game for PBKS. He sealed the win with a huge six-over long-on, handing RCB their third straight home loss in IPL 2025.
What We Can Learn from the Game
Bowlers are great on a tricky pitch.
The game showed how important it is to bowl carefully on a surface with variable spin. Tim Arshdeep, Chahal, and Jansen did a great job of taking advantage of the conditions, and Hazlewood’s spell almost turned the game in RCB’s favor. David’s bravery was for nothing.
David’s powerful hit was the only good thing for RCB. It shows that one great performance can make a difference, even in a terrible game.
The Smart Game Management from PBKS
PBKS played with patience and targeted certain bowlers at the end to achieve a crucial win, unlike their previous match against KKR, in which they gave up on the chase.
The End: A Game of Fine Margins
In a game where bowlers were in charge, PBKS kept their cool to secure an important win. RCB is very worried about their batting collapse, while Punjab will feel good about their ability to protect and chase low scores when they’re under a lot of pressure.
Both teams will try to build on their skills as the IPL 2025 season goes on. RCB will hope that their star-studded batting lineup finds form soon, while PBKS will look to build on their bowling depth. One thing is for sure: games like these show why T20 cricket is so unexpected and exciting right up until the last ball.
