RCB Advances to IPL Final with Dominant Victory Over PBKS
RCB Secures IPL Final Spot
Former Indian cricket stars Mohammed Kaif, Irfan Pathan, and Suresh Raina praised the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) after their impressive victory against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Thursday, which earned them a place in the Indian Premier League (IPL) final.
RCB triumphed with an eight-wicket win at Mullanpur, highlighted by standout performances from bowlers Suyash Sharma and Josh Hazlewood, who both took three wickets. This marks RCB's fourth appearance in the IPL final and their first in nine years.
Kaif took to X to commend RCB's bowling unit, emphasizing that the team, often viewed as heavily reliant on batting, has finally grasped the importance of bowling in winning matches.
He stated, "It took a while for RCB to understand that good old cricketing truth. Bowlers win you games."
Irfan Pathan also expressed his admiration for RCB, stating they "deserve every bit of" their finals appearance, adding, "RCB in the finals. Deserve every bit of it. Congratulations to their fans. The bowling had sting in it."
Suresh Raina chimed in, saying, "One Step Away from Glory! Congratulations to RCB on scintillating display. The trio of Yash Dayal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Hazlewood was unplayable. Aur @imvkohli kya kehne. Mind-blowing energy #RCBvsPBKS @RCBTweets."
After winning the toss and opting to bowl first, RCB quickly reduced PBKS to 48/4 during the powerplay, with Bhuvneshwar, Hazlewood, and Yash Dayal all performing exceptionally.
Marcus Stoinis contributed 26 runs off 17 balls, while Azmatullah Omarzai added 18 runs, helping PBKS reach a total of 101 in 14.1 overs.
Suyash Sharma (3/17) and Josh Hazlewood (3/21) were the top bowlers for RCB, with Yash Dayal claiming 2/26 in four overs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Romario Shepherd each took one wicket.
In their chase, RCB lost Virat Kohli (12) and Mayank Agarwal (19), but Phil Salt (56* off 27 balls) and captain Rajat Patidar (15*) led RCB to victory in just 10 overs, finishing with eight wickets remaining.
Kyle Jamieson and Musheer Khan each took a wicket for PBKS, while Suyash was awarded the 'Player of the Match.'
With this victory, RCB advances to the finals, while PBKS will have another opportunity to compete for the title against the winner of the eliminator match between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Gujarat Titans (GT) on June 1 in Ahmedabad.