Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings, IPL 2025 — A Damp, One-Sided Affair at the Chinnaswamy

By Snikio

Sometimes, T20 cricket gives you nights of fireworks. Other times, like this one, it serves up a damp squib — quite literally. At the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, the rain didn’t just shorten the game to 14 overs a side; it seemed to wash away Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s confidence with it.

By the time the drizzle had cleared and the floodlights began to bite into the evening mist, RCB’s batting card looked like a half-written story — 63 runs on the board, nine wickets down in just 11.5 overs. In a stadium used to roaring sixes and the crowd’s guttural “Abe Kohli maar na!”, the atmosphere was subdued.

Early Damage — PBKS Smell Blood
The night began with Punjab Kings winning the toss and sending RCB in to bat. A decision that, in hindsight, looked less like a gamble and more like reading the room perfectly.

Arshdeep Singh wasted no time in silencing the home crowd — first, with a length ball that found Virat Kohli’s edge for just 1, and then a beauty that sent Jos Buttler trudging back on 4. His figures — 3 overs, 23 runs, 2 wickets — don’t tell the whole story. This was a spell that broke RCB’s backbone before it could even stretch.

And just when Bengaluru thought they’d crawl past the powerplay, Harpreet Brar slipped in with a double strike in the space of five balls — conceding only 4 runs. PBKS weren’t just taking wickets; they were stripping away belief.

Tim David, Lone Resistance
If there was a flicker of resistance, it came from Tim David’s 19 off 15 balls. Not flashy, not defiant — just a man trying to stop the collapse from turning into an outright embarrassment. But when your top scorer can’t get past 20, you know the innings has been strangled.

The Uphill Chase That Isn’t Really Uphill
With only 64 needed for victory, Punjab Kings are strolling into the second innings knowing they hold all the cards. The pitch is still damp, the air still heavy, but unless something bizarre unfolds — the kind of bizarre that ends up in IPL folklore — this game is already tilting heavily towards PBKS.

RCB, meanwhile, will walk into the field with more hope than plan. And sometimes in cricket, hope is the loneliest thing to defend.

Match Snapshot:

Venue: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Toss: Punjab Kings opt to bowl
RCB Score: 63/9 in 11.5 overs
Top Scorer (RCB): Tim David — 19 (15)
Best Bowling (PBKS):
- Arshdeep Singh — 3-0-23-2
- Harpreet Brar — 0.5-0-4-2
Target for PBKS: 64 runs in 14 overs

FAQs about Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings

Q. Can RCB still win from here?
In cricket, never say never — but defending 63 in a 14-over match against a side like PBKS would require not just exceptional bowling, but also a batting collapse of epic proportions from the opposition.

Q. Was rain a factor in RCB’s batting collapse?
It shortened the match and added moisture to the pitch, which likely helped PBKS bowlers. But this wasn’t just about conditions — the shot selection from RCB batters left much to be desired.

Q. Who’s the favourite now?
Without question, Punjab Kings. Chasing 64 in T20 cricket is usually a warm-up drill, not a challenge.

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