05/17/26 09:47:00
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05/17 09:45 CDT Punjab loses again as Bengaluru advances in IPL with 23-run
victory. Delhi vs. Rajasthan
Punjab loses again as Bengaluru advances in IPL with 23-run victory. Delhi vs.
Rajasthan
DHARAMSALA, India (AP) --- Venkatesh Iyer was 73 not out off 40 balls and Virat
Kohli hit a 37-ball 58 as defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat
Punjab Kings by 23 runs to advance to the knockout stage of the Indian Premier
League on Sunday.
Put into bat, Bengaluru scored an impressive 222-4. In reply, Punjab reached
199-8 in 20 overs with Bhuvneshwar Kumar picking up 2-38 in four overs.
Bengaluru confirmed its spot in the top four with a game to spare -- it has 18
points from nine wins in 13 games.
For Punjab, it was a sixth straight loss. It is fourth with 13 points from 13
games. The Kings must now win their final game against already eliminated
Lucknow Super Giants but will still depend on other results going their way.
In Sunday's late game, Delhi Capitals takes on Rajasthan Royals.
Another 50 for Kohli
Left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar bowled opener Jacob Bethell for 11 but Bengaluru
went on to score 61-1 in the powerplay.
Kohli hit his fourth half-century of the season off 31 balls. Kohli struck
three sixes and four fours overall, putting on 76 runs for the second wicket
off 41 balls with Devdutt Padikkal (45), who hit three sixes off 25 balls
before he was caught off Brar.
Iyer and Kohli then came together to add 60 off 35, before Kohli was caught off
Yuzvendra Chahal in the 15th over.
Bengaluru accelerated despite that loss as Iyer smashed his first 50 of the
season, coming off 29 balls. Overall, he hit four sixes and eight fours.
Tim David's 12-ball 28 included two sixes as Bengaluru eased past 200 with 65
runs off the last five overs.
It was the 53rd 200-plus score in this edition of the IPL, and the most for any
season. The previous record was in 2025 with 52 200-plus totals in 74 matches.
Punjab's reply
In reply, Punjab quickly slipped to 19-3 in 3.2 overs. Kumar struck twice in 11
balls, removing attacking openers Priyansh Arya (0) and Prabhsimran Singh (2).
Rasikh Salam (3-36 in four overs) had skipper Shreyas Iyer caught behind for 1.
Punjab only managed 49-3 in the powerplay.
Cooper Connolly (37) and Suryansh Shedge (35) stabilized the innings, and
Marcus Stoinis (37) and Shashank Singh put on 67 off 32 deliveries for the
sixth wicket.
Josh Hazlewood broke that partnership, trapping Stoinis lbw, after Punjab
fought back from 93-5 to 160-6 in 16.1 overs.
Singh (56 off 27) overcame his poor run to score 50 off 22 balls, and
Azmatullah Omarzai contributed 14. Both fell in the final over.
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
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