New Delhi, May 18: In a thrilling day of IPL 2026, two significant matches were held on Sunday. The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) triumphed over the Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 23 runs in the first match. Meanwhile, the Delhi Capitals (DC) defeated the Rajasthan Royals (RR) by five wickets in the second encounter. With this victory, RCB has clinched a spot in the playoffs, marking them as the first team to do so this season.
RCB now holds 18 points from 13 matches, securing the second position in the points table, just behind the Gujarat Titans, who have 16 points from the same number of games. The Sunrisers Hyderabad are in third place with 14 points from 12 matches. Unfortunately for PBKS, their path to the playoffs has become challenging after suffering their sixth consecutive defeat, leaving them with only 13 points from 13 matches.
The loss against the Delhi Capitals has complicated the situation for the Rajasthan Royals as well. RR now has 12 points from 12 matches and must win their remaining two games while hoping for favorable outcomes from other matches. The Chennai Super Kings are also in the mix with 12 points, sitting in sixth place, while the Delhi Capitals are seventh with 12 points from 13 matches. The Kolkata Knight Riders remain in contention for the playoffs with 11 points from 12 matches.
RCB’s impressive performance continued against PBKS. Batting first, RCB scored 222 runs for the loss of four wickets in their 20 overs. Venkatesh Iyer was the star performer, smashing 73 runs off just 40 balls. Devdutt Padikkal contributed 45 runs from 25 balls, and Virat Kohli added 58 runs, including four fours and three sixes, from 37 balls.
Chasing a target of 223 runs, PBKS managed only 199 runs, losing eight wickets in their 20 overs. Shashank Singh was the top scorer for PBKS with 56 runs, while Cooper Connolly and Marcus Stoinis both chipped in with 37 runs each. On the bowling front, RCB’s Rasikh Salam took three wickets for 36 runs, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed two wickets.
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