Arshdeep Singh once again proved to be a key weapon for Punjab Kings as he removed Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s explosive opener Phil Salt in the very first over of their IPL 2025 clash at Mullanpur Cricket Stadium on Sunday, April 20. Salt, who managed only one run from three balls, fell victim to Arshdeep for the fourth time in their last five T20 encounters. The left-arm seamer struck with a well-directed short delivery that caught Salt off guard as he mistimed a pull shot.

The ball deflected off Salt’s bat while his eyes were set towards midwicket, leading to a comfortable catch behind the stumps by wicketkeeper Josh Inglis. Arshdeep’s early breakthrough handed PBKS a dream start as RCB began their chase of a modest 158-run target. With this dismissal, Arshdeep continued his impressive streak against Salt, highlighting his dominance over the England batter in the shortest format of the game.

Earlier in the day, RCB skipper won the toss and elected to field first. Punjab Kings had a brisk start, thanks to opener Prabhsimran Singh, who hammered 33 off 17 balls. Despite a promising beginning, PBKS couldn’t maintain the momentum as their captain Shreyas Iyer failed to deliver, managing just 6 runs off 10 balls. The innings was later steadied by Shashank Singh and Marco Jansen, who remained unbeaten on 31 and 25 runs respectively, helping their side post 157/6 in 20 overs.

Arshdeep Singh gets Phil Salt once again!

📸: JioStar pic.twitter.com/pkQJJe8iJw

— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) April 20, 2025

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Bowlers Dominate as PBKS Look to Defend

Among PBKS’s bowling lineup, Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma stood out with their economical and effective spells. Both bowlers picked up two wickets each while conceding only 25 and 26 runs, respectively. Veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar also impressed, giving away just 26 runs in his four-over quota. Their tight spells prevented RCB from getting into a comfortable rhythm, setting up an intriguing second innings. The early wicket of Salt by Arshdeep only added more pressure on the visitors’ batting unit.

This was the second meeting between the two teams within a span of just three days. In their previous clash at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, PBKS secured a convincing win in a rain-affected 14-over game, chasing down the target with five wickets in hand and 11 balls to spare. Tim David starred with the bat in that match and was deservedly named Player of the Match. As the 2025 season unfolds, this budding rivalry between PBKS and RCB continues to bring plenty of excitement.