Chandigarh, May 29 (UNI) Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) produced a bowling masterclass to skittle Punjab Kings (PBKS) for a paltry 101 in just 14.1 overs in Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at Yadvindra Singh International Cricket Stadium here on Thursday, paving the way for a commanding route to the final.
RCB’s pace troika of Josh Hazlewood (3/21), Yash Dayal (2/26) and Romario Shepherd (1/5) inflicted severe damage upfront, while young leggie Suyash Sharma spun a web around the middle-order with figures of 3/17.
But it was Jitesh Sharma’s acrobatic brilliance behind the stumps that lit up the evening — none more so than the one-handed screamer to dismiss Azmatullah Omarzai, which brought the curtains down on PBKS' shambolic innings.
Hazlewood delivered the final blow off the first ball of the 15th over. Omarzai, who had resisted with a brisk 18 off 12, threw his hands at a length ball outside off. It took a thick edge and seemed to be flying over the keeper — but Jitesh flung himself full-length to his right and pulled off a breathtaking one-handed grab, underlining RCB’s dominance. The spectators erupted in awe as Punjab folded for 101, their hopes crushed.
Earlier, the top-order collapse began with Priyansh Arya (7) miscuing a drive off Dayal straight to Krunal Pandya at cover. Prabhsimran Singh counter-attacked with a quickfire 18 off 10 that included two boundaries and a six, but his charge ended with an ill-timed swipe off Bhuvneshwar Kumar that feathered to the keeper.
RCB continued to tighten the screws. Shreyas Iyer (2) fell to Hazlewood with a loose drive, followed by Josh Inglis (4) who top-edged a bouncer straight to long leg. Nehal Wadhera (8) dragged on while looking to cut Dayal, as PBKS slipped to 50 for 5 inside 7 overs.
Stoinis offered the only spark with a counter-punching 26 off 17, peppered with two sixes and two fours. But his reckless slog against a clever wrong one from Suyash saw his leg stump uprooted, signalling the beginning of the end.
What followed was a procession. Shashank Singh (3) and Musheer Khan (0) fell to Suyash in a span of four balls, both bamboozled by wrong ones. Harpreet Brar's (4) resistance ended when a Shepherd delivery reared up and crashed into his off-stump, brushing the inside edge and forearm en route.
Even Kyle Jamieson’s awkward fend for leg byes that trickled away for four in the 14th over wasn’t enough to delay the inevitable. It was only a matter of when — and Hazlewood provided the answer with a delivery and a dismissal that epitomised RCB’s ruthless efficiency.
RCB's bowling captaincy from Rajat Patidar, particularly in the use of spinners and pace off the ball, drew praise from commentators and fans alike. With just 102 to chase in a pressure game, RCB have one foot in the final — and the kind of momentum that could carry them all the way.
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