On April 20, 2025, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) continued their perfect away record with a commanding 7-wicket victory over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Match 37 of IPL 2025 at Mullanpur. PBKS posted 157/6, led by Priyansh Arya’s 47 off 24, but RCB’s bowlers, with Suyash Sharma’s 2/26 and Josh Hazlewood’s tight death overs, kept them in check. Chasing 158, RCB rode a 100-run stand between Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 73 off 54 and Devdutt Padikkal’s 61 off 35, sealing the chase in 18.5 overs with Jitesh Sharma’s 11* off 5, including a match-winning six. RCB climbed to third with 10 points (5-3), while PBKS slipped to fourth (5-3). Less than 48 hours after PBKS’s 5-wicket win in Bengaluru, RCB flipped the script—here’s how it unfolded!
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Toss and Lineups
RCB captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and opted to bowl, citing a “decent” pitch with no dew expected in the afternoon game. RCB replaced Liam Livingstone with Romario Shepherd, while PBKS stuck with their Match 34 XI. PBKS XI: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Josh Inglis (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh. Impact Sub: Xavier Bartlett.
RCB XI: Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma. Impact Sub: Yash Dayal.
PBKS’s Innings: Arya’s Blitz, RCB’s Fightback
PBKS roared to 62/0 in the powerplay, with Priyansh Arya (47 off 24, 5 fours, 2 sixes) smashing Bhuvneshwar Kumar for 16 in the 3rd over. Prabhsimran Singh’s 23 off 15 ended via Suyash Sharma’s 2/26, caught at long-on, at 65/1 in 6.2 overs. Shreyas Iyer’s 21 off 18 steadied things, but Krunal Pandya’s 1/24 dismissed him, caught at deep midwicket, leaving PBKS at 98/2 after 10 overs. Nehal Wadhera’s 22 off 17 and Shashank Singh’s 15 off 12 kept the momentum, but Hazlewood’s 1/22 and Bhuvneshwar’s 1/28 restricted them, conceding just one boundary in the last four overs. Marcus Stoinis’s 15* off 9 pushed PBKS to 157/6, with RCB’s spinners (Suyash, Krunal) and death bowling shining. A mix-up between Kohli and Patidar spared a run-out, per ESPNcricinfo.
RCB’s Chase: Kohli and Padikkal Dominate
RCB’s chase started shakily—Phil Salt (4 off 4) fell to Arshdeep Singh’s 1/30 in the 1st over, caught by Inglis. Virat Kohli (73* off 54, 7 fours, 1 six) and Devdutt Padikkal (61 off 35, 6 fours, 2 sixes) then took charge, adding 100 runs in 11.4 overs. Kohli’s record-breaking 67th IPL fifty-plus score came off 49 balls, while Padikkal’s 35-ball 61, including a lofted cover drive off Chahal (1/32), was his first fifty in 22 IPL innings. A massive mix-up saw Kohli escape a run-out when Iyer’s throw missed, per Sportstar. Rajat Patidar’s 12 off 13 ended via Chahal, but Jitesh Sharma’s 11* off 5, sealing it with a six off Nehal Wadhera’s 0/9, ensured RCB reached 159/3 in 18.5 overs. PBKS’s bowlers, despite Harpreet Brar’s tight 0/24, couldn’t break through.
Pitch and Conditions: Slow but True
Mullanpur’s pitch was slow, with the ball holding up, as noted by Simon Katich, but offered true bounce. The 2025 first-innings average here is 170, with defending teams winning 60%. At 33°C with no dew, batting first was tough, but RCB’s disciplined bowling and Kohli’s anchoring defied the trend. Short 62m boundaries aided batters, but spin and hard lengths were key.
Standout Stars
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Virat Kohli (RCB): 73* off 54 (7 fours, 1 six)—Player of the Match for his record 67th IPL fifty-plus score, anchoring the chase.
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Devdutt Padikkal (RCB): 61 off 35—set the tone with aggressive strokeplay.
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Suyash Sharma (RCB): 2/26—broke PBKS’s momentum.
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Priyansh Arya (PBKS): 47 off 24—gave PBKS a fiery start.
Head-to-Head: RCB Strike Back
PBKS lead RCB 18-17 in 35 IPL clashes, but RCB’s win evens their 2025 record at 1-1 after PBKS’s 5-wicket victory in Match 34. Kohli’s 1031 runs vs PBKS, including five fifties and a century, remain unmatched, per ESPNcricinfo. RCB’s 5-0 away record in 2025 is now the best.
What’s Next?
RCB (5-3) face Kolkata Knight Riders on April 22, aiming to maintain their away streak. PBKS (5-3) take on Gujarat Titans on April 21, needing to regroup after their home loss.
Match 37 was RCB’s revenge mission—Kohli’s class and Padikkal’s fire outshone PBKS’s fight. X buzzed with “King Kohli rules!” and “RCB’s away kings!”. A clinical chase—what’s your moment? Share below!
