Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS) in a last-over thriller to become the third team to qualify for playoffs in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.
After opting to bat first, the Challengers posted 164/7 on the board in their allotted 20 overs. Skipper Virat Kohli (25) and young star Devdutt Padikkal (40) started well by adding 68 runs for the opening wicket.
But after Kohli’s dismissal, RCB lost two more wickets in quick succession before Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers joined hands to take their side out of hot waters.
Maxwell and De Villiers formed a crucial 73-run partnership for the fourth wicket. While De Villiers got out for 23, Maxwell smashed a vital half-century to help RCB reach a competitive total.
In reply, Punjab got off to a scintillating start as KL Rahul, and Mayank Agarwal stitched a 91-run stand for the opening wicket. Rahul was sent back by Shahbaz Ahmed for 39, but Mayank stayed in the middle and scored a half-century.
However, Yuzvendra Chahal brought RCB back into the game, picking up a three-wicket haul for just 29 runs in his quota of 4 overs. Chahal removed Mayank (57), Nicholas Pooran (3) and Sarfaraz Khan (0). In the end, Punjab could only manage 158/6 in their stipulated overs, losing the contest by six runs.