Harpreet Brar and KL Rahul help PBKS register 34 run win over RCB

A rare off day for the RCB batsmen helped Punjab Kings (PBKS) make a comeback in the tournament after registering a 34 run victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Match 26 of the VIVO Indian Premier League 2021 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday.

Harpreet Brar put up an excellent all-round show, scoring 25 runs and picking up three important wickets of Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, and AB de Villiers, while KL Rahul led from the front with an unbeaten 91 off 57 deliveries as PBKS registered their third win of the season.

Chasing a challenging target of 180, RCB lost Devdutt Padikkal early after Riley Meredith, after being hit for a six, bowled the left-hander over in the third over of the innings.

At the halfway stage of the innings, RCB were 62/1 before Harpreet Brar bowled a brilliant over, dismissing Captain Kohli and Glenn Maxwell off consecutive balls.

Harpreet scalped his third wicket of the match as AB de Villiers was caught inside the circle, trying to get a move on with the required run rate rising.

Patidar then released some pressure after he took on Hooda and smacked a four and six each in the 14th over. However, the right-hander’s innings came to an end after he miscued one and was caught at long-on off Chris Jordan’s bowling.

RCB made things difficult for themselves as Shahbaz and Daniel Sams were dismissed off consecutive deliveries against Bishnoi, with RCB requiring 88 off the final five.

Harshal Patel and Kyle Jamieson added valuable runs down the order and nearly stitched a fifty-run partnership to get RCB close to the total. Patel struck 3 fours and 2 sixes and scored 31 off 13 deliveries before he was dismissed

RCB finished on 145 in the 20 overs but fell short of the target by 34 runs in the end. 

With a couple of days break in between, the team will look to dust off, regroup and prepare for their match against the Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday.