Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Thursday, May 29, in Mullanpur, Chandigarh, delivered a dominant performance to thrash Punjab Kings (PBKS) by eight wickets, chasing down a modest target of 102 in just 10 overs.
Phil Salt was the standout performer, hammering an unbeaten 56 off just 27 deliveries, including six fours and three sixes at a blistering strike rate of 207.40. He was ably supported by skipper Rajat Patidar, who finished on 15 not out.
Earlier, PBKS endured a batting collapse, getting bowled out for just 101 in 14.1 overs. Marcus Stoinis top-scored with 26, while Prabhsimran Singh and Azmatullah Omarzai chipped in with 18 each. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) applied constant pressure with the ball, led by Josh Hazlewood and Suyash Sharma, who took three wickets apiece. Yash Dayal, Musheer Khan, and Kyle Jamieson also delivered crucial breakthroughs.
The slide began early when Priyansh Arya was caught at cover off Dayal, followed by Prabhsimran edging Bhuvneshwar Kumar after two boundaries. Captain Shreyas Iyer fell cheaply to a wild slog off Hazlewood, who also dismissed Josh Inglis with a rising delivery, sparking panic in the PBKS camp. Marcus Stoinis and Shashank Singh fell to Suyash Sharma’s sharp googlies, while debutant Musheer Khan also fell trying to sweep the leg-spinner.
Despite the poor effort with the bat, PBKS may find slight consolation in their past defense of 111 on a similar surface. However, RCB’s dominant all-round performance left little room for resistance as they cruised to a comfortable eight-wicket win, chasing the target in just 10 overs and giving their net run rate a solid boost.
