PBKS Beat RCB in Rain-Hit IPL 2025 Match as Nehal Wadhera, Bowlers Shine Bright

Nehal Wadhera struck a match-winning knock under duress to help Punjab Kings (PBKS) narrowly overcome Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in a rain-affected IPL 2025 encounter at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The visitors pulled off a dramatic five-wicket win while chasing a modest 96-run target in a game cut short to 14 overs per side owing to heavy rain interruptions.

Pursuing 96, PBKS lost early with both openers, Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya, getting out in the first four overs and leaving the scoreboard at 33. RCB bowlers continued the pressure, and Josh Hazlewood increased the tension by claiming two wickets in an over, destabilizing Punjab’s middle-order.

In spite of the pressure, Wadhera kept his cool and steadied the innings. His calm head guided Punjab closer to the target, eventually taking them past the line with some assistance from the lower middle-order.

Tim David’s Late Blitz Helps RCB Set Defendable Target

Earlier in the game, Tim David gave the much-needed momentum to RCB, hitting a 50 from 26 deliveries without losing his wicket. His aggressive hitting came after seven Bengaluru wickets fell for less than 50 runs. David’s lone contribution took Bengaluru to 95/9 in their 14 overs.

Punjab’s bowlers had a magical day with the new ball. Arshdeep Singh got Phil Salt out in the first over and then removed Virat Kohli in the third, to give PBKS the ideal beginning. The tightened spells of Arshdeep and Yuzvendra Chahal saw that RCB never picked up speed until David’s late flourish.

Delayed Toss, Wet Outfield, and an Intense Finish

Heavy rain pushed the toss past two hours, scheduling it at 9:30 PM IST and cutting the match to 14 overs per side. PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and chose to bowl first, and it proved fruitful with early advantages.

Despite the drama and soggy conditions, the match was competitive, treating spectators to a thrilling low-scoring contest on the 18th anniversary of the first-ever IPL match.

Playing XIs:

RCB: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Yash Dayal

PBKS: Priyansh Arya, Nehal Wadhera, Shreyas Iyer (c), Shashank Singh, Josh Inglis (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal