Punjab vs Bengaluru, Live Score, Match 61, Indian Premier League, 2026

Harpreet Brar to Jacob Bethell, OUT! CHOPPED ON! Another low score for Bethell. A big roar from Brar, and he also gives a bit of a send-off to Jacob. Harpreet switches to over the stumps and lands it outside off, on a slightly shorter length. It grips and spins back in. Jacob Bethell goes deep inside the crease to play the late cut, but gets a thick inside edge back onto the stumps behind. He throws his head back in disappointment as he walks back. RCB are 21/1 after 2.2 overs.

Yuzvendra Chahal to Virat Kohli, OUT! CAUGHT IN THE DEEP! Chahal strikes and strikes very big despite being carted all over the park. Gives the ball a decent flight and lands it full on the leg stump. Kohli steps out to whip it over deep mid-wicket, bringing the wrists into play. But this time, he cannot quite get the power or timing behind it, and it flies straight to deep mid-wicket. Priyansh Arya holds on without fuss. Another fine knock from Virat comes to an end. Royal Challengers Bengaluru are 157/3 after 15 overs.

Harpreet Brar to Devdutt Padikkal, OUT! CAUGHT! Harpreet Brar strikes on his return to the attack. He is charged up as he lets out a big roar. From around the wicket, pushed across off, on a nagging length. Padikkal presses back to force it away on the off side. He is early into the stroke and spoons it straight to extra cover, where Shreyas Iyer makes no mistake and gobbles it up around his waist. The 76-run stand comes to an end.

Arshdeep Singh to Tim David, OUT! CAUGHT! A wicket to end the innings. RCB finish on 222/4. A thigh-high full toss, on the pads. There to be put away and David swings at it but is early into the lofted hit. It comes right off the toe end of the blade and it goes straight down the throat of Harpreet Brar at deep backward square leg, who takes an easy catch around his waist. David takes the review, wanting to check the height of the full toss. The side-on replays confirm that the ball was well below the waist, and the third umpire feels no need to check the height with the Ball Tracker.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Priyansh Arya, OUT! CAUGHT! A soft dismissal. A three-ball duck for Priyansh Arya and the home side suffer an early blow. Fractionally short, on middle and leg. Arya stays back in the crease and looks to jab it away in front of square on the leg side. The ball comes off the toe end of the blade and balloons to mid on, where Romario Shepherd moves a bit to his left and gets low to snaffle it. PBKS are 1/1, chasing 223.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Prabhsimran Singh, OUT! EDGED AND GONE! A sharp grab from Devdutt Padikkal. Wicket number 24 of the season for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Not the best of balls by Bhuvi. Short and wide on off, asking to be hit. Prabhsimran frees his arms and throws his hands at the ball. It flies off the toe end towards first slip, where Padikkal reacts quickly and takes the catch to his right at chest height. Both Punjab openers back in the hut inside 3 overs.

Romario Shepherd to Cooper Connolly, OUT! HIGH UP AND CAUGHT​​! Romario Shepherd comes up with a massive breakthrough. And things are looking pretty ominous for the Punjab Kings now. Shepherd spears it full and on middle and leg. Cooper Connolly goes for the pick-up shot and looks to park it into the stands, but gets more height on it and not the required distance. Jacob Bethell moves to his left from deep square leg and judges the trajectory of the ball watchfully, and takes the catch to his left, around his chest. PBKS are 62/4, needing 161 runs from 75 balls.

Rasikh Salam to Shreyas Iyer, OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Immediate impact from the Impact Sub. Cross-seam ball by Rasikh, bowled into the wicket, just outside the off stump. Just like he did when he was bowled by Shardul Thakur in the previous game against MI, Shreyas stays leg side of the ball and presents an angled bat face. The ball nips away enough to square Iyer up. It grazes the outside edge and the keeper, Jitesh Sharma gobbles it up. Punjab Kings are 19/3, in tremendous trouble, as they lose their skipper now.

Suyash Sharma to Suryansh Shedge, OUT! CAUGHT! Suryansh Shedge could not have picked out the fielder any better. Dragged down by Suyash, near the tramline. Shedge stays rooted in the crease and reaches out with his hands. He wanted to go inside out over cover but ended up hitting it flat with a horizontal bat towards long off. Virat Kohli moves to his left, bends and grabs it in reverse cup style in front of his neck. Kohli seems to have injured his pinky finger in the process.

Josh Hazlewood to Marcus Stoinis, OUT! LBW! An Aussie dismisses his fellow Aussie. A timely wicket by Hazlewood and he breaks the 67-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Hazlewood slips in a thigh-high full toss, angling onto the pads. Stoinis walks inside the line and looks to whip it over square leg, but misses to connect and the ball hits the flap of his front pad. RCB go up in appeal as one and up goes the finger. Marcus Stoinis has taken the review to challenge the on-field decision of out. UltraEdge comes up with a flat line, and the Ball Tracking shows that it is projected to clip the leg stump on umpire's call. So the on-field decision is upheld and Stoinis has to walk back. PBKS are 160/6, needing 63 more runs.

Rasikh Salam to Shashank Singh, OUT! CAUGHT BY KOHLI! Not quite a yorker, but full and angling into the stumps. Shashank is rooted in the crease and goes for the pick-up shot again, but this time it comes off the toe of the bat and miscues straight to long on. Kohli is not dropping these. Gets down on his knees and pouches it comfortably. Kohli lets out a huge roar.

Rasikh Salam to Azmatullah Omarzai, OUT! CAUGHT! RCB BEAT PBKS BY 23 RUNS! And with this, the defending champions become the first team to qualify for the playoffs. For Punjab Kings, it is a sixth defeat on the trot, and their grip on that playoff qualification is looking increasingly precarious. Pace off at 105.7 kph, back of a length outside the off stump. Omarzai makes room and looks to flat-bat it down the ground, but gets it off the toe end and picks out long off perfectly. Tim David takes an absolute dolly there. Smiles all around in the RCB camp but absolutely contrasting scenes in the other dugout. PBKS have lost all three of their games in Dharamsala.