Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings delivered another high-octane rematch of their IPL 2025 final in the 61st Match of IPL 2026 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala, on May 17, 2026. This Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings match scorecard breaks down every run, wicket, and turning point from a contest that further tightened one of the IPL’s most evenly matched rivalries.
Punjab Kings fell 23 runs short of their mammoth 223 chase after three early wickets set them back, though the middle-order fought a brave counterattack. With Venkatesh Iyer (73 runs in 40 balls) and Virat Kohli (58) and Devdutt Padikkal (45), Royal Challengers Bengaluru scored a mammoth total of 222 runs for loss of only 4 wickets in their allocated time limit of 20 overs.
Punjab Kings mustered only 199 for 8 in response and Shashank Singh’s late-order effort of 56 came way too late. The victory propelled Royal Challengers Bengaluru to become the first team with an IPL 2026 playoff berth while Punjab Kings endured their sixth consecutive loss, leaving them in a precarious position in the race for the playoffs.
Cooch Behar Trophy 2022: Venkatesh Iyer, pushed up the order from an entire season playing at No. 6 or lower, was named Player of the Match for his innings that defined the match. Not only did the outcome have serious implications for the playoffs: it ensured that Royal Challengers Bengaluru became the first team in IPL 2026 to claim a top-four spot.
while leaving Punjab Kings who’d started the season well by winning their first seven matches but had been looking at a sixth straight loss today and a very real prospect of missing out on September’s playoffs entirely – in all sorts of trouble after having once led the points table. RCB vs PBKS FULL SCORECARD: Ball by ball detail, wickets, all the bowling figures from this Dharamsala thriller — here you get everything.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings Match Scorecard – Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
| Match | RCB vs PBKS, 61st Match, IPL 2026 |
| Tournament | Indian Premier League 2026 |
| Teams | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings |
| Venue | Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala |
| Date | May 17, 2026 (Sunday), 3:30 PM IST |
| Toss | Punjab Kings won the toss, elected to field |
| Result | Royal Challengers Bengaluru won by 23 runs |
| Player of the Match | Venkatesh Iyer (73* off 40 balls) |
| Umpires | Adrian Holdstock, KN Ananthapadmanabhan (TV: Parashar Joshi) |
| Match Referee | Pankaj Dharmani |
RCB vs PBKS Match Scorecard
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Innings
Royal Challengers Bengaluru batted first after Punjab Kings won the toss and chose to bowl, and they made full use of good batting conditions in Dharamsala. RCB posted 222 for 4 in their 20 overs at a run rate of 11.10, their innings built on contributions from every specialist batter who came to the crease. Extras added 7 runs (1 bye, 5 wides, 1 no-ball) to the total.
RCB Batting Scorecard
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| Jacob Bethell | b Harpreet Brar | 11 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 157.14 |
| Virat Kohli | c Priyansh Arya b Yuzvendra Chahal | 58 | 37 | 4 | 3 | 156.76 |
| Devdutt Padikkal | c Shreyas Iyer b Harpreet Brar | 45 | 25 | 4 | 3 | 180.00 |
| Venkatesh Iyer | not out | 73 | 40 | 8 | 4 | 182.50 |
| Tim David | c Harpreet Brar b Arshdeep Singh | 28 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 233.33 |
| Extras | (b 1, w 5, nb 1) | 7 | ||||
| Total | 222/4 (20 overs, RR: 11.10) |
Did not bat: Jitesh Sharma (wk/c), Krunal Pandya, Josh Hazlewood, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam
Fall of Wickets (RCB): 21-1 (Jacob Bethell, 2.2 ov), 97-2 (Devdutt Padikkal, 9.1 ov), 157-3 (Virat Kohli, 14.6 ov), 222-4 (Tim David, 19.6 ov)
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The third over of the game saw Jacob Bethell dismissed cheaply as he slashed a length ball from Harpreet Brar to be caught behind, but at one stage during the second-wicket partnership Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal looked to have anchored the innings in unison with a 76-run stand before both were dismissed within a five-over stretch through either side of the halfway mark. With Kohli hitting 58 off 37 balls with crisp drives and pulls through the leg side, and Padikkal making 45 off 25 (SR – 180) with three sixes targeting the shorter square boundary.
Kohli signalled the acceleration after Padikkal was caught at extra cover, Shreyas Iyer having judged that catch to perfection, but when Kohli too followed him – caught at deep midwicket off a googly bowled by Yuzvendra Chahal – RCB lost their last recognised batsman.
This led to Venkatesh Iyer joining Tim David, and the duo added 50 runs in only 24 balls for the fourth wicket, taking RCB from a happy 157 for 3 to an almost unattainable score of 222 for 4 by the time David got out on the last ball of the innings; caught at long-off in trying one hit too many.
RCB’s 222 was a continuation of a long-running trend at this venue between these two sides, as the total easily surpassed the average first innings score recorded at this ground so far in his season and rounded on an already pressure starting position for a Punjab Kings top order that appeared vulnerable after recent performances.
Punjab Kings Bowling Scorecard
Punjab Kings’ bowlers struggled for control on a good batting surface, conceding boundaries at will once Venkatesh Iyer and Tim David got going in the closing overs.
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
| Arshdeep Singh | 4 | 0 | 43 | 1 | 10.75 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | 4 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 9.50 |
| Harpreet Brar | 4 | 0 | 35 | 2 | 8.75 |
| Lockie Ferguson | 3 | 0 | 43 | 0 | 14.33 |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | 3 | 0 | 42 | 1 | 14.00 |
| Shashank Singh | 2 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 10.00 |
Harpreet Brar was the pick of the Punjab Kings attack with 2 for 35 from his four overs, accounting for both Bethell and Padikkal. Lockie Ferguson and Yuzvendra Chahal were the most expensive, going for over 14 runs an over as RCB’s middle order cut loose in the back half of the innings.
Punjab Kings Innings
Punjab Kings Batting Scorecard
Chasing 223 for victory, Punjab Kings’ innings unravelled inside the powerplay before a mid-innings recovery and a late flourish from Shashank Singh brought them within sight of an unlikely chase. Punjab Kings finished on 199 for 8 in their 20 overs, at a run rate of 9.95, falling 23 runs short of the target. Extras contributed 12 runs (8 wides, 4 leg byes).
PBKS Batting Scorecard
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| Priyansh Arya | c Romario Shepherd b Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Prabhsimran Singh (wk) | c Devdutt Padikkal b Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 40.00 |
| Cooper Connolly | c Jacob Bethell b Romario Shepherd | 37 | 22 | 3 | 3 | 168.18 |
| Shreyas Iyer (c) | c Jitesh Sharma b Rasikh Salam | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Suryansh Shedge | c Virat Kohli b Suyash Sharma | 35 | 22 | 2 | 2 | 159.09 |
| Marcus Stoinis | lbw b Josh Hazlewood | 37 | 25 | 5 | 0 | 148.00 |
| Shashank Singh | c Virat Kohli b Rasikh Salam | 56 | 27 | 4 | 4 | 207.41 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | c Tim David b Rasikh Salam | 14 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 140.00 |
| Harpreet Brar | not out | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 166.67 |
| Extras | (w 8, lb 4) | 12 | ||||
| Total | 199/8 (20 overs, RR: 9.95) |
Did not bat: Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Lockie Ferguson
Top scorers: Shashank Singh (56 off 27), Marcus Stoinis (37 off 25), Cooper Connolly (37 off 22)
Fall of Wickets (PBKS): 1-1 (Priyansh Arya, 0.3 ov), 18-2 (Prabhsimran Singh, 2.5 ov), 19-3 (Shreyas Iyer, 3.2 ov), 62-4 (Cooper Connolly, 7.3 ov), 93-5 (Suryansh Shedge, 10.5 ov), 160-6 (Marcus Stoinis, 16.1 ov), 194-7 (Shashank Singh, 19.2 ov), 199-8 (Azmatullah Omarzai, 19.6 ov)
Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed both Punjab Kings openers within the first three overs, with Rasikh Salam mopping up in his second over to have the chase at 19 for 3. Cooper Connolly and Suryansh Shedge attempted to rebuild in the middle overs, adding runs at little more than a run a ball but the required rate continued to steadily extend well past ten an over.
Marcus Stoinis, added as the Impact Player replacement for Yuzvendra Chahal, made a handy 37 off 25 deliveries with five fours before he was bowled leg-before by Josh Hazlewood.
Shashank Singh roared late, and his innings of 56 in just 27 deliveries including four sixes had briefly given Punjab Kings the hope of pulling off the miracle as he reduced the target to a manageable 40 runs from two overs, but Rasikh Salam’s three wickets at the death (including two in an over) ensured Royal Challengers Bengaluru reached their destination well before they got close to tossing down that final ball.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Bowling Scorecard
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 4 | 0 | 38 | 2 | 9.50 |
| Josh Hazlewood | 4 | 0 | 36 | 1 | 9.00 |
| Rasikh Salam | 4 | 0 | 36 | 3 | 9.00 |
| Suyash Sharma | 4 | 0 | 50 | 1 | 12.50 |
| Romario Shepherd | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 8.00 |
| Krunal Pandya | 3 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 9.00 |
Rasikh Salam was the standout bowler for RCB with figures of 3 for 36, striking with the new ball and again in the final over to seal victory. Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s early double-strike set the tone for the Punjab Kings innings, while Romario Shepherd’s solitary over went for just 8 runs and brought a crucial wicket.
RCB vs PBKS Match Result
RCB won the match by 23 runs, successfully defending their score of 222 for after punjab kings finished on 199 for 8. Punjab Kings were set 223 to win and stumbled to 19 for 3 in the powerplay, before Shashank Singh (56 off 27) led a fightback that could never truly close things up.
Chasing History: As it happened: Punjab Kings needed to score 223 runs from the beginning itself at a required rate of 11.15 runs per over and as wickets started to tumble, the task became bigger for them. The equation was already blown well out of proportion by the end of the powerplay and Punjab Kings were forced to take on more risks through the middle overs that led to losing wickets.
Not even Shashank Singh’s late-hitter show, which got the ask down to what was theoretically gettable – 40 off the last two overs – could compensate for the platform squandered in earlier parts of the innings.
The game had turned immediately on the first over of chase itself when Bhuvneshwar Kumar sent Priyansh Arya packing for a golden duck and two overs later removed Prabhsimran Singh followed by Rasikh Salam in the fourth over as Punjab Kings found themselves reeling at 19 for 3. Punjab Kings were thus always behind the asking rate from there on, and even though Shashank Singh’s late fireworks gave them 40 runs to get off the last two overs, Rasikh Salam then took two wickets in that.
RCB vs PBKS Top Performers
Best Batter for RCB
Venkatesh Iyer was the standout batter for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, finishing unbeaten on 73 off 40 balls.
- Runs: 73*
- Balls faced: 40
- Boundaries: 8 fours, 4 sixes
- Strike rate: 182.50
Promoted to the top order for the first time in IPL 2026, Venkatesh Iyer anchored the innings through the middle overs before accelerating in the closing stages, combining with Tim David to add 50 runs in the last 24 balls of the innings.
Best Batter for PBKS
Shashank Singh was the top scorer for Punjab Kings with a counterattacking 56 off 27 balls.
- Runs: 56
- Balls faced: 27
- Boundaries: 4 fours, 4 sixes
- Strike rate: 207.41
Coming in with Punjab Kings well behind the required rate, Shashank Singh’s innings, laced with four maximums, kept the chase alive deep into the final overs before he was eventually caught off Rasikh Salam.
Best Bowler of the Match
Rasikh Salam produced the standout bowling performance of the match for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
- Overs: 4
- Runs conceded: 36
- Wickets: 3
- Economy: 9.00
Rasikh Salam struck early in the Punjab Kings innings to help reduce them to 19 for 3, and returned in the death overs to remove Shashank Singh and Azmatullah Omarzai in the space of five balls, sealing the win for RCB.
RCB vs PBKS Toss Result
Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer, playing his 100th game as an IPL skipper, won the toss and elected to field first, opting to chase under lights at Dharamsala. Explaining the decision, Iyer said he was “not going by the stats” in a venue where chasing had not always been the preferred option. The decision meant Punjab Kings brought in Harpreet Brar and Lockie Ferguson to their bowling attack, with Marco Jansen left out entirely and Xavier Bartlett omitted from the Impact Player list.
In hindsight, the toss decision did not work in Punjab Kings’ favour. Royal Challengers Bengaluru made full use of batting first, posting a big total that ultimately proved too much for Punjab Kings to chase down, continuing a pattern of high-scoring encounters between the two sides at this venue. The dew factor, which typically assists chasing sides in day-night IPL fixtures, was not enough to counter the pressure of early wickets, and Punjab Kings’ decision to field first will likely be scrutinised further given how comprehensively their chase unravelled inside the powerplay.
RCB vs PBKS Playing XI
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) | Punjab Kings (PBKS) |
| Jacob Bethell | Priyansh Arya |
| Virat Kohli | Prabhsimran Singh (WK) |
| Devdutt Padikkal | Cooper Connolly |
| Venkatesh Iyer | Shreyas Iyer (Captain) |
| Tim David | Suryansh Shedge |
| Jitesh Sharma (WK & Captain) | Shashank Singh |
| Romario Shepherd | Azmatullah Omarzai |
| Krunal Pandya | Harpreet Brar |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | Lockie Ferguson |
| Josh Hazlewood | Arshdeep Singh |
| Suyash Sharma | Yuzvendra Chahal |
Impact Players
| Team | Impact Player | Replaced | Over |
| RCB | Rasikh Salam | Devdutt Padikkal | 2.6 overs |
| PBKS | Marcus Stoinis | Yuzvendra Chahal | 17.6 overs |
Other Impact Player Options
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Punjab Kings |
| Jordan Cox | Xavier Bartlett |
| Abhinandan Singh | Vishnu Vinod |
| Swapnil Singh | Musheer Khan |
| Kanishk Chouhan | Pravin Dubey |
RCB vs PBKS Fall of Wickets
Royal Challengers Bengaluru wickets:
- 1st: 21 runs (Jacob Bethell, 2.2 overs)
- 2nd: 97 runs (Devdutt Padikkal, 9.1 overs)
- 3rd: 157 runs (Virat Kohli, 14.6 overs)
- 4th: 222 runs (Tim David, 19.6 overs)
Punjab Kings wickets:
- 1st: 1 run (Priyansh Arya, 0.3 overs)
- 2nd: 18 runs (Prabhsimran Singh, 2.5 overs)
- 3rd: 19 runs (Shreyas Iyer, 3.2 overs)
- 4th: 62 runs (Cooper Connolly, 7.3 overs)
- 5th: 93 runs (Suryansh Shedge, 10.5 overs)
- 6th: 160 runs (Marcus Stoinis, 16.1 overs)
- 7th: 194 runs (Shashank Singh, 19.2 overs)
- 8th: 199 runs (Azmatullah Omarzai, 19.6 overs)
RCB vs PBKS Match Highlights
Top scoring: Venkatesh Iyer 73 not out (40) – Took full advantage of a misfire in the RCB top order when given his first opportunity of the season at the top. He scored 82 runs in his innings, including 8 fours and 4 sixes, which earned him the Player of the Match award.
Bowling spell in the match: The decisive bowling contribution of the game came from Rasikh Salam, who took 3 for 36 off his four overs and having effect early on with two wickets, finished with a double strike in the last over which sealed the match.
Key partnership: Venkatesh Iyer beat the best of runs for RCB : A 50-run stand was built off just 24 balls, as Tim David raced to an explosive captain’s knock. While it took the score from a match-winning 157 for 3 to too much –. For Punjab Kings, middle overs were stitched by the duo Cooper Connolly and Suryansh Shedge however with Shashank Singh’s late hitting, chase was still alive but never looked like completing it.
WT20 I Final: Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s first over, in which he sent Priyansh Arya packing for a golden duck. Punjab Kings were 19 for 3 in the fourth over, and therefore chasing a never-to-be-manageable asking rate.
Last overs/chase finish: Need 40 runs from final two overs, Azmatullah Omarzai’s penultimate (19th) over going for just 6 runs and with Rasikh Salam bagging a double wicket in the same over caps where Punjab Kings ended. Tim David smashed two boundaries in one over from the pace bowler earlier in the innings, and Punjab Kings were unable to defend Arshdeep Singh’s last over once the equation was already beyond their reach.
RCB vs PBKS Head-to-Head Record
- Total matches: 38
- RCB wins: 20
- PBKS wins: 18
- No result: 0
Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings share one of the most tightly contested rivalries in IPL history. Punjab Kings (formerly Kings XI Punjab) held the head-to-head advantage for much of the rivalry’s history, but a string of RCB wins across the IPL 2025 playoffs, including the final, and this Dharamsala encounter in IPL 2026, has swung the overall record firmly in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s favour.
Recent meetings: RCB now have the upper hand in six of their last seven meetings against Punjab Kings — one came in final victorial IPL 2025 at Ahmedabad as they beat Punjab Kings by 6 runs to lift their maiden IPL crown.
Highest team score: Royal Challengers Bengaluru, 241 for 7 (20 overs) at Dharamsala in IPL 2024 – this is the overall highest total by a side in the history of the fixture. Related News IPL 2018 PUJARA RCB vs PBKS: Punjab Kings’ Top Score of 232 vs RCB Shares Details
Closest/most memorable encounters: The IPL 2025 final is the biggest battle of this two teams, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru edging Punjab kings by just 6 runs to lift the increased prized first title in franchise history after Krunal Pandya’s 2 for 17 proved pivotal as RCB posted190 for 9, forcing its opposition to end up with184 for 7. Virat Kohli is the highest run-getter in this fixture, having scored over 1,000 runs during his encounters with Punjab Kings; well ahead of the next-best run-scorers in the rivalry.
Among bowlers, the best individual performance recorded in this head-to-head is 4 for 14 by Sreenath Aravind, while the best bowling figures for a Punjab Kings bowler against Royal Challengers Bengaluru are 4 for 17 by Piyush Chawla.
Particularly beyond the headline way to finish, the competition has swung as much on venue as it has on form. RCB have had the upper hand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, while Punjab Kings managed one of their purple patches between 2012-2014 when they defeated the Bengaluru franchise five matches on the trot.
The domination of Punjab Kings during that time kept them ahead in the overall head-to-head count for well over a decade before RCB enjoyed something of a renaissance through the 2024 and ’25 seasons — taking both meetings with their rivals in 2024 and three out of four between the two sides in 2025 including the final — to swing it back their way heading into this clash at Dharamsala.
RCB vs PBKS Match Scorecard – Final Summary
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings match scorecard highlights a dominant batting performance from RCB in favourable conditions at Dharamsala. Royal Challengers Bengaluru posted an imposing 222/4, with Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal and Venkatesh Iyer making valuable contributions. Punjab Kings struggled during the chase after losing three early wickets and eventually finished on 199/8, handing RCB a 23-run victory.
Venkatesh Iyer emerged as the standout performer after playing a crucial innings of 73 not out, while RCB’s overall batting depth proved decisive. The win strengthened RCB’s position in the IPL 2026 playoff race and added another important result to their competitive rivalry with Punjab Kings.
FAQs
Who won the RCB vs PBKS match?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the RCB vs PBKS match at Dharamsala by 23 runs, defending their total of 222 for 4 as Punjab Kings finished on 199 for 8.
What was RCB’s score against PBKS?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru scored 222 for 4 in their 20 overs, powered by Venkatesh Iyer’s unbeaten 73 off 40 balls, Virat Kohli’s 58, and Devdutt Padikkal’s 45.
What was PBKS’s score against RCB?
Punjab Kings finished their chase on 199 for 8 in 20 overs, falling 23 runs short of the 223-run target, with Shashank Singh top-scoring with 56 off 27 balls.
Who was the top scorer in RCB vs PBKS?
Venkatesh Iyer was the top scorer in the match with an unbeaten 73 off 40 balls for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Who took the most wickets in RCB vs PBKS?
Rasikh Salam was the leading wicket-taker in the match, finishing with figures of 3 for 36 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Who was Player of the Match in RCB vs PBKS?
Venkatesh Iyer was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 73 off 40 balls, which anchored Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s total of 222 for 4.
