RCB vs PBKS Live Score & Highlights: Kohli vs Dhawan Showdown, Playing XIs, Streaming Links & Pitch Report

Royal Challengers Bengaluru booked their first IPL final berth since 2016 with a commanding performance against Punjab Kings, skittling PBKS for 101 before cantering to victory in Qualifier 1 at the new PCA Stadium in Mullanpur, Chandigarh. Relentless Bowling Masterclass RCB skipper Rajat Patidar opted to field, and his pace trio made the call look inspired. Josh Hazlewood and left-armer Yash Dayal struck with the new ball, while leg-spinner Suyash Sharma ripped through the middle order; the three combined for eight wickets, leaving only Marcus Stoinis (26 off 19) to offer resistance. Punjab’s collapse was complete in just 14.1 overs, their 101 the lowest total in an IPL playoff since 2013. Calm Chase, Early Finish Needing barely a run a ball, openers Virat Kohli and Phil Salt stamped out any nerves with a 54-run power-play stand. Salt’s 38 (24) kept the rate under control before Kohli and Patidar finished the chase inside 13 overs, sealing a nine-wicket win that sent the Bengaluru dug-out into raptures. Key Talking Points • Power-play punch: Hazlewood’s wickets of Shikhar Dhawan and Liam Livingstone inside three overs put PBKS on the back foot they never escaped. • Spin squeeze: Suyash’s googlies earned 3-for-19, including the prized scalp of Stoinis, and kept the required rate well below par for the chase. • Kohli’s chase template: The veteran’s unbeaten 45 ensured a risk-free pursuit and pushed him past 700 runs for the season, the only batter to do so. What It Means for the Final The emphatic win hands RCB a four-day break to prepare for the June 3 final in Ahmedabad, while PBKS face the winner of Eliminator 1 for a last shot at the title match. Bengaluru’s bowling depth and Kohli’s towering form make them early favourites, but concerns remain over middle-order time at the crease after another truncated chase. Stat Pack • 101 – PBKS’s total, the second-lowest ever in an IPL qualifier/eliminator. • 3/16 – Hazlewood’s figures, his best in the IPL playoffs. • 9 – Wickets lost by PBKS to pace; only Stoinis fell to spin. • 702 – Kohli’s current season tally, the highest by any batter in IPL 2025. Up Next Punjab Kings must regroup for Qualifier 2 at the same venue, where conditions have visibly assisted hard-length pace. For Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the wait for a maiden IPL crown has never felt shorter; one more all-round display like this could finally break the franchise’s 17-year title drought.