Punjab Kings' (PBKS) Yuzvendra Chahal (2nd left) with teammates celebrates the wicket of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) Jitesh Sharma during their IPL 2025 match at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru, Karnataka, Friday, April 18. PTI
RCB restricted to 95/9 by PBKS in 14-over match
For Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Tim David top-scored with an unbeaten 50 off 26 balls
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) were restricted to 95/9 by Punjab Kings (PBKS) despite Tim David's counter-attacking half-century in their rain-curtailed IPL 2025 match in Bengaluru on Friday (April 18).
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The match started at 9.45 pm after a steady drizzle refused to fade away for a good part of the evening, and Kings' skipper Shreyas Iyer did not hesitate to bowl first in the 14-over-per-side contest.
RCB's poor start
The decision proved right as Punjab bowlers plucked three wickets in the power play segment, which was curtailed to four overs because of the delayed start.
Phil Salt started the proceedings with a crisp boundary but perished in the first over itself, trying to hammer Arshdeep Singh (2/23) out of the park and stumper Josh Inglis completed a good catch.
Virat Kohli did not last long either, as Marco Jansen peddled 20 metres back to pull off a terrific catch off Arshdeep.
Pacer Xavier Bartlett joined his teammate with the wicket of Liam Livingstone.
Livingstone tried to carve Bartlett over covers but the ball was a touch outside the off-stump and the batter could not impart timing to his shot, which was pouched by Priyansh Arya at covers.
The Royal Challengers' power play phase score read a sorry 26 for three.
Chahal, Jansen shine
Yuzvendra Chahal (2/11) made his return to his one-time IPL home Chinnaswamy Stadium memorable with the wicket of Jitesh Sharma.
Amidst the ruins around him, skipper Rajat Patidar played some handsome shots, and none better than a pick-up off his pads off Bartlett that soared over mid-wicket for a six.
But RCB soon received a body blow as Patidar (23, 18b) could not clear Bartlett at sweeper cover off Chahal, who teased the batters with those tossed up, fuller deliveries.
Jansen (2/10), who used short-pitched balls to good effect, had his own moments as he jettisoned Krunal Pandya and Impact Sub Manoj Bhandage as RCB innings unravelled.
It was despite a few customary big blows by David (50 not out, 26 balls) that included three sixes in a row off left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar. David made 32 runs for the final wicket with Josh Hazlewood off 14 balls.
(With agency inputs)