NO rivalry has been as close to call and as evenly matched for such an extensive period in the IPL history, as the ongoing tussle between Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings Timeline: Both franchises were there since the inaugural season of 2008, both spent years chasing their first title and both met at the top of cricket’s highest domestic stage when RCB defeated PBKS in the final of IPL 2025. On the back of two decades of intensely contested league encounters that one match took a rivalry and made it into one of modern IPL cricket’s defining storylines.
This timeline charts every moment of the RCB vs PBKS fixture — from Osman’s initial visit to Bengaluru in 2008, through a decade of ebb and flow, culminating in the 2025 final and stabbing all the way through the current IPL 2026 season. Here are the results, venues, best batting and bowling displays and numbers that matter from this contest along the way.
Quick Facts: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings Timeline
| Category | Details |
| Teams | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings |
| First IPL Meeting | 2008 |
| RCB Former Name | Royal Challengers Bangalore |
| PBKS Former Name | Kings XI Punjab |
| Competition | Indian Premier League |
| Timeline Covered | 2008–2026 |
| Total Meetings | 38 matches |
| Head-to-Head | RCB 20 — PBKS 18 |
| Major Players | Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, KL Rahul, Yuzvendra Chahal |
Also read this: Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Match Scorecard | Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians Timeline | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings Match Scorecard
RCB vs Punjab Kings: Year-by-Year Match History
2008 the rivalry begins. In their first-ever meeting in the tournament’s inaugural season, Kings XI Punjab had gotten the better of Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets. RCB were still in the process of establishing themselves as a franchise at the time, and this early loss would come to set a standard for what would be an incredibly even and unpredictable fixture over the course of subsequent years.
2009 (South Africa season): The tournament was moved because of general elections back home, and the sides ended their meetings with RCB squeezing home by two runs in a low-scoring thriller, while Kings XI bounced back to win by seven wickets.
2010: It was RCB’s best year-over-year display in the competition yet. The two face-offs had both ended in comfortable victories for Anil Kumble’s side, the second being an easy eight-wicket chase as Kohli was joined by captain Rahul Dravid at the top of Bangalore’s order starting to want fo themselves.
2011. Kings XI then recorded the largest victory in their history when they ripped apart RCB by 111 runs due to an enormous opening partnership between Adam Gilchrist and Shaun Marsh, also at Mohali. However, RCB managed to give back later in the season by winning by 85 runs.
2012–2013. It was the most dominant stretch with bat for Punjab against RCB this season. That decade of dominance started with a 6–0 record to England – winning by three wickets and four wickets in the two meetings between the sides in 2012, and by six wickets and seven wickets from two matches again in 2013.
2014: A title run in the best form possible saw Kings XI Punjab do a league double over RCB — defeating them first by 32 runs and then by five wickets as explosive batting from Glenn Maxwell and David Miller took George Bailey’s team to victory.
2017: A tale of two halves. But a half that got RCB to the history books The first meeting had been a 22-run win for Punjab, only for RCB to bounce back with their biggest victory in this contest — the 138-run hammering built around Chris Gayle’s 117 off just 57 balls, still the highest individual score of this fixture.
2018:Overall, one of RCB’s most memorable years in IPL history and it reflected again in this match. RCB took both the clashes, first at home by 82 runs and then in a last-ball finish of one run the narrowest result (by runs) ever between these two teams — with Kohli and AB de Villiers wreaking havoc as always.
2019: RCB, who placed last in a difficult season, lost both matches to Punjab (then known as Kings XI) — 19 runs and then eight wickets.
The opportunity to repay the favour presented itself more aptly in 2016 when RCB stormed back into form, winning both games against Kings XI Punjab — by 10 wickets and four wickets respectively — with Kohli in career-best touch that season.
RCB made it two in a row against DC, winning by 17 runs and then eight wickets to build on their good step in the fixture during a disappointing season overall.
2020 (UAE season): This year was all about Punjab, played in the neutral conditions of Dubai and Sharjah. KL Rahul (132 not out off 69 balls, still the highest score in 70 matches between these teams) won an early battle and Punjab defeated Delhi by 97 runs followed by taking the return match by eight wickets for a double win. RCB’s 84 all out was also against the same opponents in this UAE season but remains their poorest team total in the fixture.
2021: An account of the see-saw year that was, with a six-run win for RCB among career-best bowler outputs and a 34-run Punjab Kings’ victory later this season led by Harpreet Brar’s clean batting cards decimating Kohli-Maxwell-de Villiers skillsets in two overs.
2022: After being thrashed by 54 runs and later losing out on the first-half home tie with Punjab Kings, RCB’s campaign wobbled through a rebuilding season under Faf du Plessis.
2023: RCB got back to back wins after that with a 7-run victory in the initial meeting, only for Punjab Kings smacking down RCB by 24 runs later in the season to keep the head-head close as we go into 2024.
2024: Both teams met twice in this year’s group stage, with RCB winning both handsomely; the first by 60 runs then a close-fought four-wicket victory, suggesting momentum was shifting their way ahead of a title-winning campaign for them just two years later.
2025: The rivalry defining year RCB and Punjab Kings have faced off four times — once in the regular season (RCB won by seven wickets, Punjab responded with a five-wicket victory) before facing each other twice more in the knockouts. RCB, who dominated table-topping Punjab for an eight-wicket victory in Qualifier 1 at New Chandigarh after bowling them out for 101 before following it by beating Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad by six runs in the IPL 2025 final to seal their maiden title.
2026: On May 17, the two sides faced each other again in Dharamsala, RCB defended their title with success by 23 runs behind half-centuries from Venkatesh Iyer and Virat Kohli as they became the first team to secure an IPL 2026 Final Four qualification, Punjab Kings qualification hopes were left hanging by a thread after a sixth consecutive defeat since April.
The first clash of the season between these two sides also had extra meaning for both sets of fans considering last year’s final, with Marcus Stoinis, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kyle Jamieson all switching franchises from this round-up of the 2025 showpiece.
RCB vs PBKS Head-to-Head Record
| Category | RCB | PBKS |
| Matches Played | 38 | 38 |
| Wins | 20 | 18 |
| Win Percentage | ~52.6% | ~47.4% |
| Highest Team Score | 241/7 | 232/2 |
| Lowest Team Score | 84 all out | 88 all out |
| Biggest Winning Margin (runs) | 138 runs | 111 runs |
| Biggest Winning Margin (wickets) | 10 wickets | 8 wickets |
A note on the numbers: different record-keepers list slightly varying totals for this fixture’s earliest, single-round-robin 2008 season, so historical aggregator figures occasionally differ by one match. The table above reflects the most recently verified count following the May 2026 meeting in Dharamsala.
RCB vs PBKS Season-Wise Results
| Season | RCB Wins | PBKS Wins | Notes |
| 2008 | 0 | 1 | Rivalry begins; Kings XI won by 6 wickets |
| 2009 | 1 | 1 | Split, including a 2-run RCB win |
| 2010 | 2 | 0 | RCB’s first clean sweep |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 | Punjab’s 111-run win is the fixture’s biggest by margin |
| 2012 | 0 | 2 | Start of Punjab’s dominant stretch |
| 2013 | 0 | 2 | Punjab sweep continues |
| 2014 | 0 | 2 | Punjab reach the IPL final this year |
| 2015 | 1 | 1 | Gayle’s 117 headlines a 138-run RCB win |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 | Includes a 1-run RCB win |
| 2017 | 0 | 2 | Punjab sweep during a poor RCB season |
| 2018 | 2 | 0 | RCB sweep, including a 10-wicket win |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | RCB’s third straight sweep |
| 2020 | 0 | 2 | Rahul’s 132* headlines Punjab sweep in UAE |
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | Split season |
| 2022 | 0 | 2 | Punjab sweep |
| 2023 | 1 | 1 | Split season |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | RCB regain momentum |
| 2025 | 3 | 1 | RCB win the Qualifier and the final |
| 2026 (to date) | 1 | 0 | RCB win in Dharamsala, May 17 |
Biggest Wins in RCB vs PBKS History
RCB’s biggest wins against PBKS. RCB’s biggest margin of victory came in 2015, when Chris Gayle scored 117 off just 57 balls in a winning score of 248/3 – a difference of 138 runs. Of those wins, the biggest by wickets came in 2018 when RCB’s top order offered up one of its most brutally efficient displays to record a ten-wicket rout. One of their great wins (alongside their 8-wicket victory at Qualifier 1 of 2025, bowling Punjab Kings out for just 101) in terms of knockout stakes.
PBKS’s biggest wins against RCB. Their biggest win ever remains the 111-run thrashing of RCB at Mohali in 2011, when Adam Gilchrist and Shaun Marsh piled on runs. The margin of victory in that edition then (97 runs) remains their second-best by way of achievement, with KL Rahul’s unbeaten 132, and later that same season an eight-wicket win against RCB further establishing a rewarding year in this meeting for them.
Highest-Scoring and Closest RCB vs PBKS Matches
The highest score RCB has managed against Punjab Kings is 241/7, at Dharamsala during the 2024 season, while the best for Punjab was 232/2 at the same venue back in 2011 — both highlight how often this fixture descends into a bludgeoning. RCB were skittled for 84 in Dubai during the 2020 season, while Punjab’s lowest is 88 all out, on their travels in Bengaluru in 2015.
RCB’s win by one run in 2016 remains the tightest finish, by runs, throughout history between this fixture. PL 2023, where province permitted home side to win by seven runs and RCB’s six-run triumph in the 2025 last both rank close to the highest point of the fixture’s most sensational completes while every one of RCB’s eight-wicket pounding in Qualifier 1 of 2025 and Punjab’s nine-wicket win as probably the biggest edges by wickets.
Top Run Scorers in RCB vs PBKS Matches
| Player | Team(s) | Runs |
| Virat Kohli | RCB | 1,159+ |
| Chris Gayle | RCB/PBKS | 873 |
| AB de Villiers | RCB | 718 |
| KL Rahul | PBKS/RCB | 600+ |
Virat Kohli’s numbers against Punjab Kings are staggering even by his own standards — well over a thousand runs against a single opponent, spanning nearly two decades of the fixture. His unbeaten 73 in Qualifier 1 of 2025 was one of his most important innings against Punjab, setting up RCB’s run to the title.
Chris Gayle’s 873 runs came largely during his peak years at RCB, headlined by his 117 in 2015. AB de Villiers built his tally through match-winning cameos in the middle order, while KL Rahul has troubled RCB from both sides of the rivalry — first as a Bangalore player and later, more prolifically, as Punjab’s own record-breaker against them.
Leading Wicket-Takers in RCB vs PBKS Matches
| Player | Team(s) | Wickets |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | RCB/PBKS | 29 |
| Sandeep Sharma | PBKS | 16 |
| Harshal Patel | RCB/PBKS | 16 |
Yuzvendra Chahal’s 29 wickets make him the leading wicket-taker in this rivalry by a wide margin, a tally built up first as an RCB player between 2014 and 2021, and extended after his move to Punjab Kings, where his leg-spin has continued to trouble his old team. Sandeep Sharma’s swing bowling has regularly troubled RCB’s top order in the powerplay, while Harshal Patel — like Chahal, a player who has represented both franchises — has been a proven death-overs threat in this fixture.
Most Memorable RCB vs PBKS Matches
Within the history of this rivalry, there are several matches that stand out above the rest. Kings XI Punjab have the most lopsided victory in the history of such league encounters with their 111-win in 2011, based on Gilchrist and Marsh’s record opening stand of 206.
Chris Gayle 117 Feb18,2015 : Even after so many years it is talked about as one of the best individual innings against Punjab KL Rahul Unbeaten 132: At UAE season 2020 this stood as the best batting performance by a Punjab Player in the match-up. That 1-run victory for RCB in 2016 produced one of the five closest finishes we have seen between the two sides.
Yet both games that will shape the legacy of this rivalry for years to come took place in 2025; RCB’s eight-wicket mauling of table-topping Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1, and the IPL 2025 Final itself where a nerveless RCB prevailed by six runs to win their maiden ever IPL title — Punjab Kings again desperately falling just short in their first final appearance since 2014.
RCB vs PBKS Rivalry: Key Players Over the Years
| Player | Team(s) | Role in RCB vs PBKS Rivalry | Key Contribution / Highlight |
| Virat Kohli | RCB | RCB’s long-term batting leader | Played across three decades of the IPL; scored a fifty in the 2025 final, one of his most significant innings against Punjab |
| Chris Gayle | RCB, PBKS/Kings XI Punjab | Explosive top-order batter | Produced several match-winning performances; scored 117 runs off 57 balls in 2015 in the fixture |
| AB de Villiers | RCB | Middle-order match-winner | Known for late-innings hitting and game-changing knocks against Punjab |
| KL Rahul | PBKS/Kings XI Punjab, RCB | Punjab’s standout batter | Scored an unbeaten 132 in 2020, the highest individual score in the RCB vs PBKS fixture |
| Shikhar Dhawan | PBKS | Experienced opening batter | Consistent top-order contributor during Punjab’s strong period against RCB |
| Shreyas Iyer | PBKS | Middle-order batter & captain | Led Punjab to the 2025 IPL final, becoming an important recent figure in the rivalry |
| Rajat Patidar | RCB | Middle-order batter & captain | Led RCB during their title-winning 2025 campaign and became a key recent figure in the matchup |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | RCB, PBKS | Leg-spinner | Played for both franchises at different stages and brings experience from both sides of the rivalry |
| Harshal Patel | RCB, PBKS | Fast bowler | Represented both teams and has delivered important bowling performances in the fixture |
| Mohammed Siraj | RCB | Fast bowler | One of RCB’s notable pace-bowling contributors against Punjab over the years |
There is one individual in this rivalry who has played all of RCBs games in these formats, too – Virat Kohli, a long-time run-machine for the franchise and, more recently, just an elder statesman bringing them home their first title.
He has played against Punjab in three different decades of the IPL now, and his fifty in the 2025 final is arguably his most significant innings versus this opponent. At the peak of his career, no innings gave more Rs to RCB than Chris Gayle’s against Punjab and 2015 saw him score a total of 117 off just 57 balls.
AB de Villiers sprinkled middle-order fireworks across 10 years of contests, regularly swinging games in the last few overs even with RCB’s top three just putting up a fight. KL Rahul has been the most successful batsman from Punjab against RCB, boasting the highest individual score ever made in this fixture his unbeaten 132 in 2020 he continued to get under RCB’s skin in subsequent seasons.
During the Punjab Kings’ 2020-22 period of dominance in this fixture, Shikhar Dhawan was at the helm for several of these contests and scored consistently at the top of the order. While more recent contributors to the list are led by Shreyas Iyer, who guided Punjab and gave them their 2025 final appearance, Rajat Patidar took RCB as their captain through their title-winning campaign.
In all bowlers, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harshal Patel and Mohammed Siraj have had an impact on the fixture from both sides of the contest – Chahal and Patel players for both franchises in different phases that only they would know the nuances of their rivalry.
RCB vs PBKS Timeline at Different Venues
M. Chinnaswamy Stadium (Bengaluru) has hosted the majority of RCB’s home fixtures against Punjab and remains the ground most associated with the rivalry’s biggest RCB victories.
The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium (Mullanpur/New Chandigarh) and its predecessor, the PCA Stadium in Mohali, have served as Punjab’s home venues over the years, including the site of Punjab’s record 111-run win in 2011.
HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala, has become an increasingly significant venue in this fixture in recent seasons, hosting both RCB’s record 241-run total in 2024 and their 23-run win over Punjab in 2026.
Neutral venues have also played a role — most notably Dubai, where the fixture was played twice during the UAE-hosted 2020 season, and New Chandigarh, the setting for Qualifier 1 of the memorable 2025 campaign.
RCB vs PBKS Playoff and Knockout Encounters
Until the very fortunate 2025 playoffs both RCB and Punjab Kings weren’t even in direct competition for the IPL playoffs anymore, this rivalry will not have had a head-to-head equivalent knockout round. The relative fortunes of the two sides changed completely when they faced off in the 2025 season, when they met twice within a week — in Qualifier 1 where RCB bowled Punjab out for 101 and won by eight wickets to reach directly reach the final, followed then from victory at Ahmedabad with a six-run win in the final itself. That was the first IPL final for RCB since 2016 and for Punjab Kings since 2014 — and, in either franchise’s case, it ended with a trophy only this time.
RCB vs PBKS Timeline: Key Rivalry Milestones
The major turning points of the rivalry also fit like a jigsaw piece with how each franchise’s larger IPL tale has unfolded. It started back in 2008 with a win for Punjab, saw the franchise rename from Kings XI Punjab to Punjab Kings before the 2021 season, came through a stretch of mostly Punjab countries between 2012 and 2014 and one more time in 2017, 2020 and 2022. Even RCB’s responses came in season sweeps in 2010, 2016 (when Kohli and de Villiers were at their peak), 2018-19 and now again in 2024.
But the biggest landmark of all was in 2025, when the two franchises without titles met in Qualifier 1 and then the final, and RCB undid their titleless run finally winning this time around. If anything, the rivalry extends straight into 2026 as RCB come off victors against Punjab in their only encounter of the season till now, in Dharamsala.
RCB vs PBKS Timeline: Recent Form
Last five completed matches between the two sides: RCB won 23 runs Dharamsala, 2026; RCB won IPL Final by 6 runs (2025); RCB won Qualifier 1 by 8 wickets (2025); Punjab Kings won league meeting by 5 wickets (2025); RCB won league meeting by 7 wickets (2025). It was a fourth victory out of five for RCB, and part of an overall trend that has favoured Bengaluru since 2024 following a purple patch for Punjab throughout the previous decade.
Conclusion
Not many IPL rivalries have had as many different phases down the years as that between Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings Timeline. From a reasonably lopsided early match-up which favoured Punjab, it has turned into a battle with an even record 20 wins each after 38 matches and plot lines involving generational players on either side such as Kohli, Gayle, de Villiers and now Rahul, who have at various points in their careers troubled the bowling attacks of both dressing rooms through raw talent to find runs from nowhere like Chahal did tonight.
The two franchises have had the same narrative for years now: huge fandom, star-studded line-ups and no IPL title. It all changed in June 2025, when RCB crushed Punjab Kings at the final to snuff out an agonizing title drought for themselves but prolonging another one just a little longer. With both teams continuing to clash on a regular basis, having met recently in Dharamsala in May 2026, this is one of the IPL’s most viewed fixtures entering the remainder of the season sized up almost equally during round three.
FAQs
When did RCB and Punjab Kings first play each other?
They first met in the 2008 IPL season, with Kings XI Punjab winning by six wickets.
What is the RCB vs PBKS head-to-head record?
As of the most recent meeting in May 2026, RCB lead 20–18 across 38 matches.
How many times have RCB and PBKS played each other?
The two sides have met 38 times in the IPL since 2008.
Which team has won more RCB vs PBKS matches?
RCB currently hold a narrow edge, having won 20 of the 38 meetings to Punjab’s 18.
What was the first RCB vs PBKS match result?
Kings XI Punjab won the inaugural meeting in 2008 by six wickets.
Who has scored the most runs in RCB vs PBKS matches?
Virat Kohli leads the run charts by a wide margin, with well over 1,100 runs against Punjab across his career.
Who has taken the most wickets in RCB vs PBKS matches?
Yuzvendra Chahal is the leading wicket-taker in this fixture, with 29 wickets taken across spells for both RCB and Punjab Kings.
What is RCB’s highest score against Punjab Kings?
RCB’s highest total is 241/7, scored at Dharamsala during the 2024 season.
What is Punjab Kings’ highest score against RCB?
Punjab’s highest total against RCB is 232/2, scored at Dharamsala in 2011.
What is the latest RCB vs PBKS match result?
RCB won their most recent meeting, on May 17, 2026 in Dharamsala, by 23 runs.
Have RCB and PBKS played an IPL final?
Yes. They met in the IPL 2025 final at Ahmedabad, where RCB won by six runs to claim their maiden title — the first final either franchise had won.
Why was Punjab Kings previously called Kings XI Punjab?
The franchise rebranded from Kings XI Punjab to Punjab Kings ahead of the 2021 IPL season as part of a broader identity refresh under new ownership leadership.
