Their third straight home defeat this season for RCB, and this time it was a combined effort from Y Chahal, Arshdeep and N Wadhera that sealed their fate

That match at Chinnaswamy was absolute chaos — the kind of night where bowlers ruled the roost in a venue that's usually a batter’s paradise! It really did feel like a genre-bending thriller: a horror show for the batters but pure fantasy cricket gold for anyone who had PBKS bowlers in their lineup. Arshdeep set the tone brilliantly — that control and ability to swing both ways under lights was textbook stuff. Then Chahal came on and, like the wily old magician he is, slowed it right down, tossing it up, inviting mistakes — and the RCB batters walked right into the trap. Marco Jansen, with his bounce and angles, was just the perfect supporting act. And from 42 for 7, it could’ve been utterly embarrassing for RCB, but credit to Tim David — that was a lone warrior's knock. A half-century off 26 balls, managing to nearly double the team’s total and avoid being bundled out for a new franchise low. That innings at least gave them something to bowl at, though it was never quite enough. Nehal Wadhera finished the job with composure beyond his years — his unbeaten 33 off 19 was the difference between a tense finish and a clinical win. That sequence really summed up RCB’s night — a complete collapse under pressure on a pitch where shot selection needed a lot more discipline than their batters showed. Once again, the pull shot turned out to be the downfall for half the lineup! Salt and Kohli both fell trying to muscle deliveries that climbed awkwardly, and from there, it just felt like a procession. Arshdeep was clinical upfront — especially impressive since he hasn't had a huge powerplay impact this season until this match — and Jansen's steep bounce was always going to be tricky on that surface, especially with batters trying to force the pace in a rain-shortened game. And then Chahal, playing the smart game, didn't even need to be ultra-aggressive — RCB's own impatience did the job. The sequence where Jitesh Sharma took two clean hits at Jansen and missed both, only for Patidar to top-edge one the very next over and Jitesh to fall immediately after — that was classic pressure cricket unraveling a batting side. Krunal’s dismissal off Jansen, feathering it onto the helmet and lobbing back for a caught-and-bowled, pretty much captured the chaotic night. Even DRS couldn’t save them. At 33 for 5, the writing was on the wall. The only bright spot for RCB was Tim David's counterattack, otherwise they were staring at a total that would've been their lowest ever. That’s a classic low-total chase — full of early nerves and the kind of pressure you wouldn’t expect when chasing just 96! PBKS definitely looked shaky at the start, and RCB’s bowlers, especially Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood, did a great job of making the small target feel much bigger. Prabhsimran and Arya both falling to mistimed strokes showed just how hard the surface was to trust, especially when bowlers dug it in or varied the pace. Even after the openers were gone, Inglis and Shreyas Iyer had to dial down their instincts and focus on soaking up the pressure. That sixth over from Krunal Pandya really gave them the breathing space, with those short, sit-up deliveries perfect for Inglis to pull and cut. Once that happened, the equation started looking a lot more manageable. And credit to PBKS for not panicking, because after RCB’s fightback with the ball and the collapse they’d witnessed with the bat, a few more wickets and it could’ve spiraled. Also — Tim David’s innings earlier was the only reason this game even had a plot twist. That 50 off 26 balls, especially the final-over assault on Brar, was some world-class damage limitation. Three sixes in a row including one off a no-ball? Pure power-hitting under pressure. Without that knock, PBKS would’ve wrapped this up in 8-9 overs. Punjab Kings 98 for 5 (Wadhera 33*, Hazlewood 3-14, Bhuvneshwar 2-26) beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru 95 for 9 (David 50*, Jansen 2-10, Chahal 2-11, Arshdeep 2-23, Brar 2-25) by five wickets