The 34th match of the IPL 2025 saw Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) take on Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on April 18, 2025. However, weather played spoilsport as a two-hour rain delay forced the match to be shortened to 14 overs per side. Once the skies cleared, Punjab Kings won the toss and opted to bowl first, hoping to take early advantage of the damp conditions. The reduced-over format added extra excitement and urgency to the contest, setting the stage for an intense and unpredictable clash between two top-performing teams in the league.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru innings

RCB made 95/9 runs in 14 overs. The innings got off to a terrible start when Virat Kohli scored one run before getting dismissed by Arshdeep Singh while RCB reached 42/7. Tim David hit an unmatched 50 off 26 balls which included three sixes and five four-run shots while scoring 21 runs against Harpreet Brar in the last over. Rajat Patidar got 23 runs from 18 balls yet all other batters ended their innings under ten runs. The PBKS bowlers delivered an outstanding performance during to family knock as Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar and Yuzvendra Chahal took two wickets each to suppress RCB's batting order.

Punjab Kings innings

PBKS achieved victory by hitting 98/5 in 12.1 overs while chasing down a target of 96. They secured the win by finishing with 5 wickets and 11 balls remained. The PBKS inning revolved around Nehal Wadhera's 33 which he hit from 19 balls including three big hits. The match-winning six from Marcus Stoinis put an end to the contest. The outstanding bowling display from Josh Hazlewood earned him three wickets for 14 runs as he sent Josha Inglis and Shreyas Iyer back to the pavilion and Bhuvneshwar Kumar finished with two take-downs. The inadequacy of their target remained an impossible defense against their opponents.

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RCB vs PBKS: Post Match Reactions

Tim David (Player of the Match, RCB): David, who was awarded Man of the Match, stated he was aware the conditions were tough and credited the top-order boxmen as they were the only ones to glean intelligence on the pitch. He complimented the work the coaching staff did to create a game plan to put the players in position to succeed. While David liked his form he blamed the loss primarily on RCB's lack of success at home and referenced the inconsistency of the conditions adapting the rain-affected pitch. He expressed excitement about the next match against PBKS that would be played on a used wicket.

Shreyas Iyer (PBKS Captain): Iyer complimented the adaptability of his team and mentioned the lethal bowling of Marco Jansen, but talked about how they were able to make the most out of the extra bounce. Iyer mentioned that he had to make instinctive decisions to get RCB's boxmen unsettled. He praised Nehal Wadhera for aggressive batting and Yuzvendra Chahal for match-winning bowling as someone who has always been important has the ability to bounce back on responsive wickets.

Rajat Patidar (RCB Captain): Patidar acknowledged that it was a two-paced pitch still sticky due to being under covers which suited PBKS's bowlers. RCB's batting struggles mentioned that there were a lack of partnerships in the middle and continual loss of wickets. He continued by praising the bowlers but at the same time also regarding the boxman's intent, having trouble adapting.he emphasized the importance of the batting unit correcting the mistakes made before their next game against PBKS.

Marco Jansen (PBKS): Jansen enjoyed the extra pace and bounce that helped him. He spoke about being willing to play any role, bowling new ball or not, and congratulated Iyer for his clear leadership and communication with the team. Jansen mentioned Chahal's wicket-taking ability, especially as an asset for PBKS.

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Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings: Match Scorecard

Royal Challengers Bengaluru – 95/9 (14 Overs)

Punjab Kings – 98/5 (12.1/14 Overs)