IPL 2026: RCB become first side to reach playoffs
What's the story
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have become the first side to reach the IPL 2026 playoffs. Their entry was marked by a massive win over Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Dharamsala's HPCA Stadium. Being invited to bat, RCB racked up 222/4 on the back of half-centuries from Virat Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer. PBKS recovered from an early collapse but fell 23 runs short.
Start
How the chase started
PBKS was rocked early by Bhuvneshwar Kumar's brilliance. He removed both openers, Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh, in successive overs. And Rasikh Salam Dar dismissed skipper Shreyas Iyer, reducing PBKS to 19/3. Cooper Connolly then steadied the ship with his 22-ball 37. Suryansh Shedge also joined him, taking the Kings past 60. In the eighth over, Romario Shepherd broke the partnership by dismissing Connolly.
Finish
PBKS lose despite Shashank's blitz
Suryansh Shedge took PBKS toward 100, but Suyash Sharma cut short his knock (35 off 22 balls). Marcus Stoinis's presence and a whirlwind knock from Shashank Singh kept PBKS alive in the chase. However, RCB brought back Hazlewood, who dismissed Stoinis. Shashank's 22-ball half-century powered the Kings, but PBKS couldn't score 33 runs in the final over.
Milestone
Bhuvneshwar reaches these landmarks
Bhuvneshwar dismissed Prabhsimran for the fifth time in just 50 balls. He averages 15.8 in this regard. According to Cricbuzz, Bhuvneshwar now has the second-most wickets after turning 35 in the IPL. He is only behind Imran Tahir (26 wickets in 2019). Bhuvneshwar surpassed Ashish Nehra (22 wickets in 2015) and Trent Boult (22 wickets in 2025).
Knock
Kohli's whirlwind knock in Dharamsala
Previously, Kohli took off RCB's innings despite losing Jacob Bethell early on. The former kept on attacking the PBKS bowlers after joining forces with Padikkal. While the latter's knock was cut short, Kohli accelerated after RCB touched the 100-run mark. In the 15th over, Yuzvendra Chahal dismissed Kohli, who picked the long-on fielder. The latter smashed a 37-ball 58 (4 fours and 3 sixes).
Milestones
Over 500 runs in IPL 2026
With another incredible knock, Kohli has raced past 500 runs in IPL 2026. The Indian batter has smashed 500-plus runs in nine different seasons, the most, as per Cricbuzz. David Warner and KL Rahul follow Kohli (7 each). As of now, Kohli has slammed 542 runs from 13 games at 54.20 in IPL 2026 (SR: 164.74). This was his fifth 50-plus score (1 ton).
Landmark
1,200-plus runs against PBKS
According to ESPNcricinfo, Kohli became the first player to score 1,200 runs against an opponent in the IPL. The RCB batter now has 1,217 runs from 37 IPL games at an average of 36.87 against PBKS. His strike rate reads 133.58. Notably, Kohli is also the highest run-scorer against Chennai Super Kings (1,174) and Delhi Capitals (1,172) in the IPL.
Knock
Venkatesh's blazing knock powers RCB
Venkatesh came in after Padikkal and Kohli took RCB toward the 100-run mark. He struggled to connect at the outset while Kohli rotated the strike. Venkatesh eventually found his rhythm by taking Chahal to cleaners. While Kohli departed after the 150-run mark, Venkatesh's blazing knock took RCB past 220. He returned unbeaten on 73 off 40 balls (8 fours and 4 sixes).
Career
Over 1,500 runs in IPL
Venkatesh played only his fourth match in IPL 2026. He shone in the absence of skipper Rajat Patidar. In 66 IPL games, the left-handed batter has raced to 1,572 runs at an average of 31.64. His strike rate reads 138.89. This was his 13th IPL half-century apart from a ton. Overall, Venkatesh has over 3,300 runs in T20s.
Information
RCB reach playoffs; PBKS' sixth successive defeat
With 18 points, defending champions RCB became the first team to reach the IPL 2026 playoffs. On the other hand, PBKS suffered their sixth successive defeat. They were unbeaten in their first seven matches.