PBKS vs RCB Qualifier 1, highlights LIVE Updates: Royal Challengers Bengaluru enter final after nine years

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) bowled out Punjab Kings for 101 to qualify for their first Indian Premier League (IPL) final since 2016 with a resounding eight-wicket victory in the qualifier 1 on Thursday.

Phil Salt’s blazing unbeaten 56 off 27 balls powered Bengaluru to 106-2 in just 10 overs and handed Punjab Kings the biggest-ever defeat in IPL playoff history in terms of balls remaining.

Punjab Kings, in the playoffs for the first time in 11 years, will have another chance to qualify for next Tuesday’s final when it faces the winner of Eliminator between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans.

The return of Josh Hazlewood (3-21) bolstered Bengaluru’s pace attack as the Australian fast bowler dismissed captain Shreyas Iyer (2) and Josh Inglis (4) that saw Punjab slipping to 38/4 inside the batting power play.

The two other Bengaluru fast bowlers — Yash Dayal (2-26) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1-17) — also struck inside the first six overs before Suyash Sharma picked up 3/17 to bowl out Punjab Kings in 14.1 overs.

Marcus Stoinis top-scored with 26 off 17 balls but was undone by Sharma’s googly and was clean bowled while Punjab’s ploy to bring in Musheer Khan as impact player for the first time this season didn’t work out as he was trapped leg before wicket by Sharma for duck.

Bengaluru lost Virat Kohli (12) and Mayank Agarwal (19), but Salt batted with aggression, hitting six fours and three sixes in his unbeaten half-century as Bengaluru cruised to its first IPL final since losing the 2016 final to Sunrisers Hyderabad.

What the captains said?

Shreyas Iyer (PBKS): Not a day to forget, but got to go back to the drawing board. We lost a lot of wickets (in the first innings.) There's a lot to go back and study on. I am not doubting on my decisions to be honest. Whatever we did in terms of planning, outside of the ground whatever (planning) we did, I think it was on point. Just that we couldn't execute it on the field. Can't even blame the bowlers, as it was a low total to defend. We got to work on our batting especially on this wicket. In all the games we have played here there has been some variable bounce. We can't give such reasons because we are professionals at the end of the day and we have to bat according to the situation and we have to live up to it. We have lost the battle, but not the war.

Rajat Patidar (RCB): I think we were clear in our plans, how we have to bowl. I think the fast bowlers used the surface really well. It's a treat to watch him from the dugout. That's really good. I always thank RCB fans, not only in Chinnaswamy, but wherever we go we feel it's our home ground. We love you, so keep supporting us. One more game and let's celebrate together.

PBKS vs RCB playing XIs

Punjab Kings: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Josh Inglis(w), Shreyas Iyer(c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Kyle Jamieson

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Rajat Patidar(c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma

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