- India,
- 20-Apr-2025 08:31 PM IST
PBKS vs RCB: In the exciting season of IPL 2025, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have made a great comeback by avenging their previous defeat against Punjab Kings. In this match played at the home ground of Mohali, RCB defeated Punjab by 7 wickets and showed that they are one of the strong contenders for the trophy this season.Punjab Kings team got a chance to bat first, but their start was very bad. The initial setbacks broke the back of Punjab and they could score only 157 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in 20 overs. In response, RCB achieved this target by losing three wickets in 18.5 overs. With this win, RCB has now reached the third position in the points table with 10 points.Virat and Padikkal's classic partnership created the story of victoryRCB may have had a bad start—opener Phil Salt returned to the pavilion after scoring just 1 run—but Devdutt Padikkal, who came to the crease after that, along with Virat Kohli, foiled the strategy of Punjab bowlers. A strong partnership of 103 runs in 69 balls was seen between the two, which put RCB in a strong position.Devdutt Padikkal scored 61 runs in 35 balls with the help of 5 fours and 4 sixes, while Virat Kohli remained unbeaten till the end and returned to make the team victorious by scoring 73 runs in 54 balls. This innings of Kohli was a great example of experience and class.Punjab's batting failed again, spinners wreaked havocPunjab Kings' batting was once again disappointing. The top order batsmen failed to play big innings. Priyansh Arya (22) and Prabhsimran Singh (33) started well but could not maintain their momentum. Shreyas Iyer was dismissed after scoring just 6 runs. At one point, Punjab lost 6 wickets for just 114 runs.However, Shashank Singh and Marco Jansen shared a 43-run partnership to take the team to a respectable score. But this score was not enough, especially when a batsman like Virat Kohli was standing in front.The spin duo—Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma—did a great job in bowling for RCB. Both took 2-2 wickets and broke the backbone of Punjab's batting. Romario Shepherd also took a wicket to put the team in a strong position.Looking aheadThis win will not only boost RCB's confidence but will also put them in a strong position in the points table. On the other hand, Punjab Kings now need to rethink their strategy, especially for stability in the batting order and strength of the start.This match became a memorable moment in IPL 2025, where RCB achieved a brilliant victory on the basis of strategy, experience and passion and made it clear that this time they are not taking any challenge lightly.