In Match 37 of the IPL 2025, Punjab Kings (PBKS) suffered a heavy seven-wicket defeat at the hands of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur. With only 158 to defend, PBKS came back with nothing to show as RCB chased down the total with seven deliveries to spare. Part of this continued run of bad luck for PBKS was not only their ineffective bowling tactics but also their inability to stage a meaningful batting challenge.

The principal reason for PBKS's defeat was their inability to dismantle RCB's batting momentum in the chase. On the bowling side, despite the early dismissal of Phil Salt very early by Arshdeep Singh, PBKS failed to apply any pressure on RCB's pair. Virat Kohli (73* off 43) and Devdutt Padikkal (61 off 35) staged an unbroken 103-run partnership in the middle and continued to punish PBKS. Yuzvendra Chahal and Harpreet Brar were ineffective, allowing RCB to reward them for unnecessarily waiting for wickets as opposed to being proactive bowlers intent on dismissals. At no point were PBKS able to disrupt, let alone dismantle, the RCB pair. RCB chased the total with difference as required.

Equally damaging was the poor batting performance PBKS displayed to arrive at a total of 157/6. The highlight was Prabhsimran's wild 33 off 17 goods to give Batters ahead hope; however, as the last three wickets tumbled to the RCB spin duo of Krunal Pandya (2/25) and Suyash Sharma (2/26), PBKS fell apart under pressure. Shashank Singh's painfully slow 31 off 33 and Sam Curran's recycling efforts of 17 off 14 amplified the damages PBKS had on the board, while RCB’s death bowling, led by Josh Hazlewood, restricted PBKS. To recover, PBKS must urgently refine their batting approach and bowling strategies to seize crucial moments in future matches.

Also Read: IPL 2025, Match 37: Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Full Match Highlights

1. Failure to Build Momentum in the Batting

PBKS could not maintain any momentum in their batting innings and finished just 157/6 in 20 overs, of which opener Prabhsimran Singh made 33 off 17 balls. PBKS' inability to build partnerships was assisted in no small part by RCB's spinners Krunal Pandya (2/25) and Suyash Sharma (2/26), who bowled PBKS into trouble in crucial situations. Also, Shashank Singh scored 31 off 33 balls, and there were other instances of batsmen such as Marco Jansen, who did little to generate momentum scoring. In the event you were wondering why PBKS' total of 157 was uncompetitive, it may mostly come down to the lack of run scoring on a 2-paced pitch.

2. RCB's Brilliant Death Bowling

RCB bowlers, particularly Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, executed brilliant death bowling, which restricted PBKS' momentum. Hazlewood kept things tight in the final overs, while Kumar (4/26, no wickets) bowled economically, and even PBKS struggled to take advantage of the last overs. In the end, because of the death bowling, PBKS were not able to set a competitive target for RCB and made it easier for RCB to run down PBKS' score.

Also Read: [WATCH] IPL 2025: Virat Kohli trolls Shreyas Iyer after RCB's thrilling win over PBKS

3. Inability to Break up RCB's Batting Partnership

While chasing 158 runs, PBKS couldn't break the 103-run stand between Virat Kohli (73* off 43 balls) and Devdutt Padikkal (61 off 35 balls). Although PBKS got lucky and Brar took out Padikkal, it did not matter because the breakthrough came too late, as none of the PBKS bowlers, including Arshdeep Singh or Yuzvendra Chahal, could apply consistent scoreboard pressure on RCB early.