The first encounter between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) in IPL 2024, played on March 25th at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, was a nail-biting thriller. Here’s a breakdown of the key details:
Toss and Batting Choice: RCB won the toss and elected to bowl first.
Punjab Kings Innings (176/6): Despite a decent start from Shikhar Dhawan, Punjab’s batting faltered. Excellent death bowling from the RCB bowlers, particularly Maxwell and Mohammed Siraj, restricted them to a score of 176/6. Virat Kohli, took a brilliant catch to dismiss Jonny Bairstow, a crucial wicket.
Royal Challengers Bangalore Innings (177/4): Chasing 177 for victory, RCB’s batting also faced early setbacks. However, a magnificent knock by Virat Kohli (77 runs off 49 balls) steadied the ship. Also, he completed 100, 50+ scores in T20 games. Dinesh Karthik (28* runs) and Mahipal Lomror (17* runs) played crucial cameos towards the end, with Karthik smashing a boundary in the final over to seal a dramatic four-wicket win for RCB.
Standout Performers:
- RCB: Virat Kohli (77 runs), Dinesh Karthik (32* runs, winning hit), Mohammed Siraj (2 wickets)
- PBKS: Shikhar Dhawan (45 runs), Harpreet Brar, Rabada (2 wicket)
Match Summary: It was a close contest throughout, with both teams battling hard. RCB’s bowling attack, especially their death bowling, was exceptional. Virat Kohli’s brilliant batting and Dinesh Karthik’s last-over heroics ensured a thrilling victory for RCB in front of their home crowd.
