Royal Challengers Bengaluru pulled off a stunning last-ball victory over Mumbai Indians in their IPL 2026 encounter in Raipur on Sunday. Needing 2 runs off 1 ball, Rasikh Salam Dar played the ball towards the bowler Raj Angad Bawa, who accidentally deflected it towards long-on, and the batters were able to complete the all-important runs. Chasing a target of 167, Krunal Pandya was the top performer as he slammed 73 off 46 deliveries. Corbin Bosch took 4 wickets, but it was not enough for MI. Earlier, Bhuvneshwar Kumar also took 4 wickets to restrict MI to 166/7. The importance of the victory was clear as Virat Kohli celebrated wildly after the end of the match, and his passionate display has already gone viral on social media. The Reaction Of Virat Kohli When RCB won the match . What a win Against MI #RCBvsMI #MIvsRCB #IPL2026 #TATAIPL #RoyalChallengersBengaluru #MumbaiIndians #ViratKohli #RohitSharma #HardikPandya #PlayBold #RCB #IPL #Mumbai pic.twitter.com/3k7...
The stage is set for Qualifier 1 of this year's Indian Premier League (IPL) as table-toppers Punjab Kings (PBKS) will take on Royal Challengers (RCB) in Mullanpur on Thursday. PBKS secured top two finish on Monday after beating Mumbai Indians (MI), before RCB joined them after forging a stunning win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the final league game of IPL 2025 on Tuesday. Both teams finished with 21 points from 14 matches, with PBKS finishing top courtesy of a better net run-rate.
However, there is no reserve date for Qualifier 1 in case the match is washed out. So, what will happen if rain plays spoilspot in Mullanpur?
In that case, PBKS will advance to the final as they had topped the league standings, ahead of RCB.
RCB, however, will then take on the winners of Eliminator between MI and Gujarat Titans for a place in the final.
Having earned the cushion of a top-two finish, one can expect both teams to have a no holds barred approach knowing they will get another shot at reaching the final even if they come up short on the opening night of the play-offs.
Punjab Kings find themselves in unfamiliar territory having made the play-offs for the first time since 2014 but they are not carrying the baggage of the past in the Iyer-Ricky Ponting (head coach) era.
RCB, on the other hand, are way too familiar with heartbreaks of the knock-out stages and like every season, are hoping to end their title drought. In their own words, the job is only half done for both title contenders.
The Iyer-Ponting partnership has resulted in a stellar turnaround for Punjab Kings, who have finally cracked the consistency code after more than a decade of under-performance.
The combination has managed to get the best out of the players making them a well-oiled unit.
(With PTI Inputs)
from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/lOvz6SF
Comments
Post a Comment