Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured a much-needed 23-run victory against Punjab Kings on Sunday to reach the playoffs and veteran pace bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar was delighted.
Superstar Virat Kohli and middle-order batter Venkatesh Iyer scored sparkling half-centuries as Kumar produced a devastating new-ball spell to send defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru into the IPL playoffs here on Sunday.
Fresh from his ninth hundred in the IPL, Kohli scored a wonderful 58 off 37 balls (4 fours, 3 sixes), Iyer followed with a lightning fast knock of robust 73 off just 40 deliveries (8 fours, 4 sixes) while Impact Player Devdutt Padikkal added crucial runs making significant contribution to posted a mammoth score of 222 for four in Dharamshala.
In response, Punjab lost their openers Prabhsimran Singh (5) and Priyansh Arya (0) cheaply as Kumar (4-0-38-2) struck in the 1st over to provide an ideal start for his team.
Kumar’s strikes proved fatal for Punjab, who could manage only 199 for eight despite Shashank Singh’s brilliant 27-ball half-century of 56.
The highest wicket taker of the season with 24 scalps, Kumar was ecstatic after the team qualified for the playoffs.
“It feels good. That’s your goal, I believe. “Of course, it’s a great thing if you can qualify in the top two,” said the 36-year-old.
“You see the emotion, we work hard for these two months and when you qualify is of course an emotional moment. Waiting for the next matches as well.
With this win, RCB moved to 18 points from 13 matches at the top of the table while Punjab (through their sixth consecutive loss) finished fourth with just 13 points from 13 matches after starting their campaign with six wins and a point (due to a rain-wash).
The shocking collapse has now left Shreyas Iyer’s team looking at near-elimination from the playoffs.
Last year’s runners-up need a win in their last league match against already-eliminated Lucknow Super Giants on May 23 to have any chance of qualifying.
Chennai despite losing the toss and Iyer, who was the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders when they lifted their IPL title in 2024, would have been bullish over Punjab’s chances.
“I am always positive because whether good or bad, the results will come.” And it does not own how my character is, and I always come with a strong attitude,” he said.
“But I am. This is over, this is gone. Tomorrow again I will observe the dawn, and there is always a rainbow at the end of a tunnel.”