Royal Challengers Bengaluru Storm Into IPL Play-Offs With 23-Run Victory Over Punjab Kings in Dharamshala

Royal Challengers Bengaluru sealed their IPL play-off berth after defeating Punjab Kings by 23 runs in a high-scoring thriller at Dharamshala, despite a fighting half-century from Shashank Singh.

May 18, 2026 | Dharamshala

Royal Challengers Bengaluru delivered a commanding all-round performance to secure a thrilling 23-run victory over Punjab Kings and officially book their place in the IPL 2026 play-offs. The defeat marked Punjab Kings’ sixth consecutive loss of the season, further denting their disappointing campaign.

After being asked to bat first, Bengaluru posted a massive 222 for 4 in 20 overs on the back of explosive batting performances from Venkatesh Iyer, Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal. Venkatesh remained unbeaten on 73 off just 40 deliveries, anchoring the innings with aggressive stroke play in the death overs. Kohli contributed a fluent 58 from 37 balls, while Padikkal smashed 45 off 25 deliveries to maintain the momentum. Tim David also provided a late flourish with a quickfire 28 from 12 balls.

Punjab Kings struggled early during the chase as Bengaluru’s pace attack kept the top order under pressure. Veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar struck in the opening over to dismiss Priyansh Arya before removing Prabhsimran Singh soon after. Captain Shreyas Iyer also failed to make an impact as Punjab slipped into trouble during the powerplay.

Despite the collapse, Shashank Singh launched a spirited counterattack and kept Punjab alive in the contest with a fearless 56 off 27 balls. Marcus Stoinis added 37 runs, and Suryansh Shedge chipped in with 35, but the required run rate continued to climb. Josh Hazlewood eventually broke the crucial partnership by dismissing Stoinis, shifting momentum firmly towards Bengaluru.

Punjab required 33 runs in the final over, but Shashank’s dismissal ended their hopes of a comeback as Bengaluru comfortably closed out the match to confirm their spot in the knockout stage.

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