Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India]: Nehal Wadhera showcased composure beyond his years to steer Punjab Kings (PBKS) to a solid victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in a rain-shortened IPL 2025 match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.
Chasing a modest target of 96 in a 14-over match, PBKS reached 98/5 in 12.1 overs, securing their fifth win of the season. Wadhera remained unbeaten on 33 off 19 balls, striking three fours and three sixes, while Marcus Stoinis sealed the chase with a match-winning six.
.@PunjabKingsIPL's red is shining bright in Bengaluru ❤️
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 18, 2025
They continue their winning streak with an all-round show over #RCB 👏
Scorecard ▶ https://t.co/7fIn60rqKZ #TATAIPL | #RCBvPBKS pic.twitter.com/NOASW2XRMD
PBKS got off to a brisk start with Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh at the top. However, both were dismissed in quick succession—Prabhsimran for 13 (by Bhuvneshwar Kumar) and Arya for 16 (by Josh Hazlewood)—leaving Punjab at 32/2 in 3.4 overs.
For his fighting knock and presence on the field, Tim David wins the Player of the Match award 🏆
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 18, 2025
Scorecard ▶ https://t.co/7fIn60rqKZ #TATAIPL | #RCBvPBKS pic.twitter.com/EqESYT6x6E
Captain Shreyas Iyer and Josh Inglis tried to rebuild, but Hazlewood continued to wreak havoc, dismissing Iyer for 7 and Inglis for 14. PBKS found themselves reeling at 53/4. When Shashank Singh fell for just 1, again to Bhuvneshwar, the scoreboard read 81/5.
But Wadhera and Stoinis ensured there were no further stumbles, putting together a calm, calculated partnership to finish the job with 11 balls to spare.
RCB’s Josh Hazlewood stood out with a sharp spell of 3/14, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar contributed 2/26.
Earlier, PBKS bowlers executed their plans with discipline, holding RCB to 95/9 in their allotted 14 overs. PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer had opted to bowl first after winning the toss.
RCB’s innings began with Virat Kohli and Phil Salt, but both departed cheaply. Arshdeep Singh removed Salt for 4 in the first over and then Kohli for just 1 in the third.
Rajat Patidar, who crossed 1000 IPL runs, tried to stabilize the innings, scoring 23. But wickets continued to fall: Livingstone (4) was taken out by Xavier Bartlett, Jitesh Sharma (2) by Yuzvendra Chahal, and Manoj Bhandage (1) by Marco Jansen.
Harpreet Brar, playing his first match of the season, made an immediate impact with two wickets in his opening over—removing Bhuvneshwar and Yash Dayal in the 12th.
Tim David was the lone standout with the bat, smashing an unbeaten 50 off 26 balls, including three sixes in the final over to push RCB to a respectable total.
Marco Jansen was the most effective bowler for PBKS, ending with 2/10, while Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Harpreet Brar claimed two wickets apiece.
With this win, Punjab Kings moved up to second place on the IPL 2025 points table, while RCB dropped to fourth.
Brief Score:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 95/9 in 14 overs (Tim David 50*, Rajat Patidar 23; Marco Jansen 2/10)
Punjab Kings: 98/5 in 12.1 overs (Nehal Wadhera 33*, Priyansh Arya 16; Josh Hazlewood 3/14)