IPL 2025: RCB suffer hat-trick of defeats at home as Punjab Kings come out on top in low-scoring game | Ipl News

On IPL’s 18th anniversary, RCB suffered another harrowing low in a five-wicket defeat against Punjab Kings that drew took back memories to that eventful start in 2008 at the M Chinnaswamy StadiumSeventeen years have passed since that momentous night in Bengaluru on IPL’s first cry when a 19-year-old Virat Kohli’s ba steps on the scene were rocked early a pacy short delivery. Rushed through in his attempted flat-pull across the turf, the uncapped Delhi boy’s debut lasted five deliveries for one run – an attempt to impress with a counter-punching stroke under mounting pressure coming undone.
When the IPL behemoth ushered in its 18th birthday on a rainy Friday evening at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, the league’s highest-ever run-scorer and his side had a specific problem to contend with – the unfriendly home ground itself.

.@PunjabKingsIPL‘s red is shining bright in Bengaluru
They continue their winning streak with an all-round show over #RCB
Scorecard https://t.co/7fIn60rqKZ #TATAIPL | #RCBvPBKS pic.twitter.com/NOASW2XRMD
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 18, 2025
Starting the rain-marred contest against Punjab Kings third on the standings with four wins, RCB suffered a third successive home defeat, with Kohli drawing an unwanted parallel to that fateful opening in 2008. A fatal pull resulted in the 36-year-old falling on 1 again as he attempted to disrupt Arshdeep Singh’s lengths. That was despite losing his opening partner Phil Salt to a similar rash stroke off a shorter length in the opening over to the left-arm seamer.
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A curtailed four-over Powerplay in a 14-over game did not help the impetuous nerve. Neither did a sticky Chinnaswamy pitch that seems all the more sluggish whenever the home side has walked out to bat this season.
Bowling juggernaut
For all their batting machismo, Shreyas Iyer’s men have turned a pivotal corner with the ball a few nights ago, dumping KKR to a stunning 16-run defeat in a 112-run chase.
If Kohli and Salt can take the Powerplay leeway for their miscued slogs, the tame swipes Liam Livingstone and Jitesh Sharma either side of the square only exacerbated their plight.
As Arshdeep returned to his wicket-taking ways up top, it was Marco Jansen’s ‘Test-match’ lengths – capped a rip-snorting bumper to snap Krunal Pandya – and former RCB regular Yuzvendra Chahal’s spin web that offered harsh recalls to the home fans.

Yuzvendra Chahal Weaves a web with a tight spell of 2/11
Watch | #TATAIPL | #RCBvPBKS | @yuzi_chahal
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 18, 2025
Perhaps, it was the need for an out-and-out assault in the shortened burst that forced RCB to cull Devdutt Padikkal out and promote skipper Rajat Patidar back to number three. Breezing through a start with a nonchalant pull off Arshdeep and a characterically stunning pick-up pull off Xavier Bartlett, Patidar flickered before self-combusting. Despite soaring to the 1,000-run mark in his IPL career as one of the fastest Indian batters with a 150-plus strike rate, Patidar’s patchy association with Bengaluru continued with his average dropping below 22 in 10 outings at the ground. However, it took a ripping leg-break from Yuzvendra Chahal’s artillery to land the spin-bashing Patidar’s favoured inside-out shot at wide long-off.Story continues below this ad
David’s brawn
For once, Tim David couldn’t complain about the lack of deliveries to showcase his wares. Entering in the seventh over shortly before Patidar’s dismissal, the range of the towering Aussie’s muscle, scythes, pulls and hefty slogs offered RCB fans a semblance of hope.

Maiden #TATAIPL FIFTY
Tim David’s explosive 50* (26) gives #RCB a strong finish
Watch | #RCBvPBKS
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 18, 2025
Even when his mates struggled to time the slogs on a tacky pitch, the extra second on the ball only played into David’s hands. Losing out on the entire 12th over when Punjab spinner Harpreet Brar picked up back-to-back wickets to leave RCB nine down, he adeptly unleashed his status as one of the most feared ball-strikers hogging all of the last 12 deliveries, smearing 31 runs. A hat-trick of sixes off Brar deserved a share of fortune with a no-ball that helped David cross his maiden IPL half-century off 26 balls.
Sticky wicket
The chase was no cakewalk despite Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh reeling in early boundaries as Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar would serve the ripostes from rib-tickling lengths on the shorter side.
After the duo removed the openers within the Powerplay, Hazlewood’s third over cracked the game open, jolting Shreyas Iyer and Josh Inglis with a smattering of controlled short-pitched bowling for catches behind the wicket.

#RCB are pumped and HOW
Sharp catch Jitesh Sharma and #PBKS are down
High quality over from Josh Hazlewood
Updates https://t.co/7fIn60rqKZ #TATAIPL | #RCBvPBKS | @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/O8F4deioAZ
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 18, 2025
While Hazlewood’s 3/14 in three overs would have sent shivers down the PBKS camp, southpaw Nehal Wadhera found the release with two smites against leggie Suyash Sharma in successive overs to quell the possibilities of another low-total defence. Redemption for RCB may come as early as Sunday in Mullanpur when the two teams meet again.

Brief Scores: Royal Challengers Bengaluru 95/9 in 14 overs (Tim David 50 not out; Marco Jansen 2/10) lost to Punjab Kings 98/5 in 12.1 overs (Nehal Wadhera 33 not out; Josh Hazlewood 3/14) five wickets