Punjab Kings (PBKS) moved up to fifth position in the points table after beating Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 34 runs in the ongoing IPL 2021 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday.
The win is Punjab’s third in seven matches.
Sent to bat first, PBKS got off to a brilliant start on the back of KL Rahul’s 91 not out and Chris Gayle’s 46.
Although they suffered in the middle overs, they managed to post 179/5 at the end of 20 overs.
They were helped by an explosive burst of quality hitting, including a last-ball six by Harpreet Brar.
Harshal Patel, who has otherwise been in impressive form, was clobbered for 22 runs from the final over.
He went wicketless, giving away 53 runs.
Chasing, RCB were put under pressure right from the start.
Virat Kohli (35) and Rajat Patidar (31) tried their best to keep their team in the contest, but Harpreet Brar (3/19) and Ravi Bishnoi (2/17) sealed the win for PBKS as their opponents were restricted to 145/8 at the end of the second innings.
The Punjab bowlers built up the pressure from the first over itself.
Riley Meredith bowled a tight over conceding only 7 runs off it and almost got Virat Kohli leg before wicket.
Later, the same bowler sent Devdutt Padikkul’s off stump flying, thus destroying Bengaluru’s hopes of a good opening stand.
Left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar, playing only in his 4th IPL match dismissed Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers in quick succession to leave the Challengers reeling.
The ball that got Maxwell had class written all over it.
Brar flighted the ball beautifully and Maxwell went back in his crease but missed the line of the ball. But the ball spun away and kissed the outside of off-stump by the barest of margins.
Riley Meredith bowled a tight over conceding only 7 runs off it and almost got Virat Kohli leg before wicket.
Harshal Patel had an off day with the ball and tried to make up for it with his explosive batting.
Patel hits two boundaries and a six off Chris Jordan to collect 16 runs from his last over
Punjab Kings 179 for 5 (Rahul 91*, Gayle 46, Jamieson 2-32) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 145 for 8 (Kohli 35, Brar 3-19, Bishnoi 2-17) by 34 runs
