IPL 2025: Virat Kohli stars as Royal Challengers Bengaluru ease past Punjab Kings

MULLANPUR: A combined bowling effort, followed by an unbeaten half-century by Virat Kohli, steered Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to a resounding seven-wicket victory over Punjab Kings in the 37th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 here at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

RCB captain Rajat Patidar’s decision to bowl first paid dividends as his bowling unit restricted the home side to a modest total of 157/6 in 20 overs.

The Kings had a flamboyant start to their innings as Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya added a brisk 42 runs until Krunal Pandya dismissed both the openers in his successive overs, consequently reducing the hosts to 62/2 in 6.1 overs.

Singh remained the top-scorer for the Kings with a 17-ball 33, comprised of five fours and a six, while Arya made 22 from 15 deliveries with the help of three fours and a six.

The Kings then lost two more wickets – skipper Shreyas Iyer (six) and Nehal Wadhera (five) – in quick succession and thus, slipped further to 76/4 in nine overs.

Following the slump, middle-order batter Shashank Singh joined wicketkeeper batter Josh Inglis in the middle in a bid to launch recovery.

The duo could add 36 runs to the Kings’ total as Inglis was sent back to the dugout by Suyash Sharma in the 14th over. The Australia international mustered 29 runs off 17 deliveries with the help of two fours and a six.

The Kings then suffered another blow in the same over as Marcus Stoinis (one) could survive for just two deliveries.

Singh eventually received ample support at the other in the form of Marco Jansen and together they raised an unbeaten 43-run partnership to power Kings past the 150-run mark.

Singh scored a cautious 31 not out from 33 deliveries, while Jansen made an unbeaten 25 off 20 balls with the help of two sixes.

For RCB, Pandya and Sharma led the way with two wickets each, while Romario Shepherd made one strike.

Chasing a modest 158-run target, the visitors comfortably knocked the winning runs for the loss of just three wickets and seven balls to spare, courtesy of Kohli’s anchoring knock.

The batting stalwart top-scored for RCB in the run chase with an unbeaten 73 off 54 deliveries, studded with seven fours and a six.

He was also involved in a match-defining 103-run partnership for the second wicket with Devdutt Padikkal, who made 61 off 35 deliveries, laced with five fours and four sixes.

For his match-winning knock, Kohli was adjudged the Player of the Match.

For the Kings, Harpreet Brar, Yuzvendra Chahal and Arsheep Singh could pick up a wicket apiece.

The seven-wicket victory lifted the Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the third position in the IPL 2025 standings with 10 points in eight matches, while Delhi Capitals remained in fourth position due to an inferior net run rate.