Bengaluru Blaze Past Punjab to Stay in IPL Hunt as Salt, Hazlewood Shine
Punjab Kings still have a shot at making the IPL final—if they can win the second qualifier against the victor of Friday’s eliminator clash between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans.
Despite scoring only 12 in the latest match, Virat Kohli remains Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s top scorer this season. A veteran of the team since the league’s 2008 debut, Kohli has led Bengaluru to three previous finals (2009, 2011, 2016), though they have yet to claim the trophy.
“It feels amazing,” said Phil Salt, reflecting on Bengaluru’s dominant win. “We had a second chance if needed, but getting it done right away builds momentum. It’s cliché, but at this stage, it matters.”
Opting to bowl first, RCB’s pace attack, spearheaded by the returning Josh Hazlewood, tore through Punjab’s lineup. Back from a shoulder injury, Hazlewood starred with 3-21, including the prized wicket of Shreyas Iyer, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed Punjab’s top run-getter Prabhsimran Singh.
Punjab crumbled to 71-7 by the halfway point, eventually bowled out in just 14.1 overs.
Though Kohli fell early to Kyle Jamieson, Bengaluru powered through with 61-1 in six overs, compared to Punjab’s 48-4. Salt’s explosive half-century came off just 23 balls, while captain Rajat Patidar capped the chase with a match-winning six.
The game wrapped up in only 24.1 overs, showcasing Bengaluru’s commanding form heading deeper into the playoffs.
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