At the innings break, the big screens inside the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur captured the mood in the Punjab Kings (PBKS) dugout. Players sat quietly, their faces a mix of disbelief, exhaustion, and helplessness. It wasn’t just a bad session of cricket — it was 85 minutes of complete domination at the hands of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who came out roaring in Qualifier 1 of the IPL 2025 playoffs.
The story was already written before the second innings began. PBKS had been steamrolled, and the damage was not just on the scoreboard — it was psychological, visible in every drooped shoulder and vacant stare.
A collapse that defied belief
After being asked to bat first, Punjab’s innings was over in a blink — 101 all out in just 14.1 overs, the shortest-ever innings in IPL playoff history. That number alone paints a grim picture, but the deeper wounds came from how it all unfolded.
There was no scoreboard pressure, no demons in the pitch. Just poor shot selection, a lack of composure, and a complete failure to build partnerships. In a high-stakes knockout, PBKS batted like a team unsure of its identity. Only three batters reached double digits — Prabhsimran Singh, Marcus Stoinis, and Azmatullah Omarzai — with Stoinis’ 17-ball 26 being the lone bright spot in an otherwise murky batting card.
RCB Bowlers: Ruthless and relentless
This was a night when everything RCB touched turned to gold. From the very first over, they were aggressive, precise, and tireless. Every bowler brought something unique to the table, and together they hunted like a pack.
- Josh Hazlewood, returning from injury, was clinical with his lines and lengths. His scalps included Shreyas Iyer, Josh Inglis, and Omarzai — all batters who could’ve turned things around.
- Suyash Sharma, who had been underwhelming in recent matches, rediscovered his magic, spinning a web around the lower order. His wickets — Shashank Singh, Musheer Khan (for a duck), and Marcus Stoinis — were crucial in sealing the collapse.
- Yash Dayal, Romario Shepherd, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar each chipped in, maintaining pressure and not letting any PBKS batter settle.
It was high-quality bowling combined with razor-sharp fielding and unrelenting energy — a performance worthy of a final, let alone a qualifier.
While RCB’s bowlers were unquestionably brilliant, Punjab did little to help their own cause. The batting implosion wasn’t just a result of external pressure — it stemmed from internal chaos. From Priyansh Arya’s soft dismissal, playing a half-hearted shot to cover, to reckless hoicks by Prabhsimran and Iyer, PBKS batters fell in succession with little resistance.
There was no application, no effort to rebuild, and certainly no signs of a cohesive plan. Marcus Stoinis tried to inject momentum, but the wickets kept tumbling around him. Once he was gone, any hope of reaching even 120 vanished. Musheer Khan’s golden duck as an Impact Player summed it all up — a team completely out of its depth on the night that mattered most.
RCB’s chase: Brutally efficient
Chasing 102 was never going to test a team in RCB’s form, and they made a mockery of it. Phil Salt’s 27-ball 56 was a statement in itself — fearless, powerful, and clinical. Even Virat Kohli’s early dismissal, brought about by a beautiful piece of bowling from Kyle Jamieson, didn’t slow them down.
Jamieson’s short-of-length delivery with extra bounce reminded everyone of the 2021 World Test Championship final, where he got Kohli in similar fashion. But there was no follow-up act from Punjab. Salt continued the assault, and the winning six came off Rajat Patidar’s bat, sealing the match with eight wickets in hand and 10 overs to spare.
PBKS’s bowling unit never looked like they believed they could defend 101. Arshdeep Singh’s expensive start, leaking 24 in his first two overs, set the tone. Jamieson’s wicket of Kohli gave a flicker of hope, but the fielding lacked the intensity RCB had shown earlier.
There was little spark, minimal pressure, and no game-changing moments from Punjab in the field. It was a one-sided show, and unfortunately for PBKS, they were merely spectators in their own game.
Where do PBKS go from here?
The loss will sting — not just because of the margin, but because of how easily they folded in a game of such magnitude. Their campaign isn’t over yet; Punjab Kings still have one more shot in Qualifier 2, where they’ll meet the winner of Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians. But they’ll need a complete reset — mentally, tactically, and emotionally.
Meanwhile, RCB will sit back and recharge, awaiting their opponent in the final on June 3, having delivered one of the most dominant playoff performances in IPL history.