NEW DELHI: Punjab Kings’ all-out attacking strategy spectacularly misfired on Thursday as they were bundled out for a paltry 101 by Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2025 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Stadium in Mullanpur.On a pitch where hitting through the line was far from easy, Punjab’s gamble to go hard from ball one proved costly. Their innings lasted just 14.1 overs.RCB’s pace trio of Josh Hazlewood (3/21), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/17), and Yash Dayal (2/26) set the tone early, before leg-spinner Suyash Sharma (3/17) ran through the middle and lower order with his deceptive googlies.Notably, this was Punjab Kings’ first playoff appearance since 2014 — but it turned into a forgettable one.
RCB star Virat Kohli celebrated every wicket with wild energy, and wife Anushka Sharma, watching from the stands, was seen smiling at both Punjab’s sloppy show and Kohli’s animated reactions.The collapse began with in-form opener Priyansh Arya miscuing a cover drive off Dayal. Prabhsimran Singh (18 off 10) followed next over, edging Bhuvneshwar after two cracking boundaries.Skipper Shreyas Iyer — key to PBKS’ success this season — threw his wicket away with an ill-timed slog off Hazlewood, and fellow Aussie Josh Inglis soon fell to a short ball from the same bowler.The middle order panicked, continuing to play risky shots. Marcus Stoinis (26 off 17), Shashank Singh, and debutant Musheer Khan all fell attempting slog sweeps against Suyash’s turning deliveries.
While Punjab’s batting failed miserably, they might find some hope in their league-stage win over KKR at the same venue, where they defended 111 on a similarly challenging pitch.
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