Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured a comprehensive seven-wicket victory against Punjab Kings in Sunday’s IPL 2025 encounter at Mullanpur, avenging their earlier defeat to PBKS this season. The win was orchestrated by a dominant 103-run partnership between Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal, laying the foundation for RCB’s successful chase of 158.
The former RCB captain delivered another vintage performance, remaining unbeaten on 73 off 54 deliveries. This marked Kohli’s fourth half-century of the season and his record-extending 67th 50+ score in IPL history, surpassing David Warner’s previous benchmark. His innings featured seven crisp boundaries and one maximum.
Padikkal complemented his senior partner beautifully with a 35-ball 61, his first fifty of the campaign. The left-hander’s aggressive approach after Phil Salt’s early dismissal provided crucial momentum, though he fell to Harpreet Brar’s bowling before seeing the team through.
Virat Kohli takes the Fun Revenge with Shreyas Iyer 😜#RCBvsPBKS #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/bA6RVuVmGG
— Sahil (@Sahil___018) April 20, 2025Post-Match Banter Highlights
The match concluded with lighthearted exchanges between Kohli and PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer after Jitesh Sharma hit the winning six off Nehal Wadhera. Broadcast cameras captured Kohli making playful gestures toward his national teammate, with both players eventually sharing a friendly chat amid Kohli’s characteristic on-field exuberance.
RCB’s spin duo of Krunal Pandya (2-25) and Suyash Sharma (2-xx) applied the brakes on PBKS’ innings after an explosive start. The Punjab openers Priyansh Arya (22) and Prabhsimran Singh (33 off 17) had raced to 42 before Pandya’s double strike in consecutive overs triggered a middle-order collapse.
West Indies’ Romario Shepherd made an immediate impact in his RCB debut, dismissing Iyer for just 6. Despite Josh Inglis’ brief counterattack (29 off 17), Punjab stumbled to 114-6 before Shashank Singh (31) and Marco Jansen (25) added respectability to their total of 157-6.
RCB approached the target methodically, with Kohli anchoring the innings after Padikkal’s departure. The visitors reached their target with seven balls to spare, demonstrating improved consistency after their recent rain-affected loss to the same opponents.
The victory strengthens RCB’s position in the tournament as they continue their quest for an elusive IPL title. At the same time, PBKS will need to regroup quickly after failing to defend what appeared to be a competitive total.
