Key Points

Punjab Kings overcame early jitters to defeat RCB in a rain-affected IPL match at Chinnaswamy. Nehal Wadhera's composed 33* anchored the chase after Hazlewood's triple strike threatened an upset. Earlier, Tim David's explosive 50* was the only resistance as PBKS bowlers restricted RCB to 95/9. The win pushes Punjab to second place while RCB slip to fourth in the standings.

Key Points: Nehal Wadhera Guides PBKS Past RCB in Rain-Hit IPL Clash

  • Wadhera's unbeaten 33 steadies PBKS chase
  • Hazlewood's 3/14 nearly derails Punjab
  • Tim David's 50* lone bright spot for RCB
  • PBKS jump to second in points table
3 min read

Nehal Wadhera shines as Punjab Kings beat RCB in rain-shortened clash

Nehal Wadhera's unbeaten 33 powers Punjab Kings to a comfortable win over RCB in a rain-shortened IPL thriller at Chinnaswamy.

"Wadhera and Stoinis steadied the ship when Punjab needed it most – Match Analyst"

Bengaluru, April 19

Youngster Nehal Wadhera played a composed and confident knock to guide Punjab Kings (PBKS) to a comfortable win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in a rain-affected Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday.

Chasing a target of 96 in a 14-over-a-side contest, PBKS reached 98/5 in 12.1 overs, registering their fifth win of the season. Wadhera remained unbeaten on 33 off just 19 deliveries, laced with three fours and three sixes. Marcus Stoinis sealed the game with a six, providing the finishing touch to a clinical chase.

Punjab got off to a quick start through openers Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh. However, the duo fell in quick succession. Prabhsimran was the first to go, dismissed for 13 by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Arya followed soon after, scoring 16 off 11 balls before falling to Josh Hazlewood. At that stage, PBKS were 32/2 in 3.4 overs.

Captain Shreyas Iyer and Josh Inglis attempted to stabilise the innings, but both fell cheaply. Iyer was removed for 7 by Hazlewood, who also got the better of Inglis (14 off 17) shortly after to complete a superb three-wicket haul. PBKS were suddenly wobbling at 53/4.

Shashank Singh was dismissed for 1 by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, leaving PBKS at 81/5. However, Wadhera and Stoinis steadied the ship and ensured there were no further hiccups. Their calm and calculated partnership saw Punjab over the line with 11 balls to spare.

For RCB, Josh Hazlewood was the standout bowler with figures of 3/14, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar chipped in with 2/26.

Earlier, Punjab Kings' bowlers stuck to their plans and restricted Royal Challengers Bengaluru to 95/9 in the rain-curtailed match in which each side will get to play 14 overs.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bowl first against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

The duo of Virat Kohli and Phil Salt opened the innings for RCB. Arshdeep Singh removed Phil Salt in the very first over for 4. RCB skipper Rajat Patidar joined Virat Kohli in the middle.

In the second over, Rajat Patidar crossed 1000 IPL runs and became the second fastest Indian batter to do so. Arshdeep took early wickets as he removed Virat Kohli in the third over for 1(3), and Liam Livingstone joined Patidar at the crease.

Xavier Bartlett removed Livingstone in the fourth over, for 4. PBKS players took good catches in the power-play, Jitesh Sharma joined RCB skipper. Veteran spinner Yuzvendra Chahal removed wicketkeeper/batter Jitesh Sharma for two in the 7th over. RCB kept losing wickets at regular intervals.

RCB's impact player Manoj Bhandage didn't make any impact with the bat as he was removed by Jansen for one in the ninth over. Harpreet Brar, playing his first match of this season, took back-to-back wickets in his first over. He removed Bhuvneshwar for 8 and Yash Dayal in the 12th over.

David was the lone warrior for RCB in batting. He smashed three sixes in the final over and scored an unbeaten 50 off 26 balls.

Marco Jansen (2/ 10)was the pick of the bowlers for PBKS. Arshdeep, Chahal, and Brar took two wickets each, and Xavier Bartlett grabbed a wicket.

Punjab have moved to the second spot in the points table, while RCB are in fourth.

Brief score: Royal Challengers Bengaluru 95/9 in 14 overs ( Tim David 50*, Rajat Patidar 23; Marco Jansen 2/10) vs. Punjab Kings 98/5 in 12.1 overs ( Nehal Wadhera 33*, Priyansh Arya 16; Josh Hazlewood 3/14).

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
What a match! Nehal Wadhera showing why he's the future of PBKS batting. That calm under pressure was incredible for a youngster 👏
P
Priya M.
Tim David's 50 was the only bright spot for RCB. The rest of the batting lineup needs to step up if they want to make playoffs this season.
S
Sanjay T.
Hazlewood's bowling was 🔥 today! 3/14 in a T20 game is insane. Too bad the batsmen couldn't back up his performance.
A
Anjali P.
Respectful criticism: PBKS's middle order still looks shaky. If Wadhera and Stoinis hadn't steadied the ship, this could've been another collapse. Need more consistency from Iyer and Inglis.
V
Vikram S.
That final over from Tim David was pure entertainment! 3 sixes when everyone else struggled. Why didn't he come in earlier? 🤔
M
Meena R.
Harpreet Brar with 2 wickets in his first match this season! PBKS's bench strength is really paying off. Great team management.

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