PBKS look to close out Dharamsala leg with a turnaround

Punjab Kings find themselves in a tailspin. The season that began with six wins has veered off course, with five successive defeats. The latest came in Dharamsala where Shreyas Iyer described the loss as a tough pill to swallow after his team failed to defend a 200-run total.

But there's light at the end of the tunnel. "Definitely excited about the next opportunity. An afternoon game and we need to win two out of two – can't wait to play," Iyer said.

PBKS had a fabulous cycle since the mega auction, with Ricky Ponting refurbishing the culture. It made them an exciting batting team and took them to the final last year. But 2026 has been about Ponting irked by what he sees – abysmal catching and sub-par bowling.

RCB have been floating high. Virat Kohli put on a grand show of how to follow up two ducks. Like PBKS, RCB began intent on keeping up their 2025 pace. Unlike PBKS, they've maintained that gallop – recovering quickly from defeats in early April.

When: Sunday, May 17, 2026, 3:30 PM IST

Where: Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala

What to expect: The venue has favoured fast bowlers – the first game saw 39 overs of pace and none of spin. This is the first afternoon fixture here. Even PBKS don't know what to expect, reckoned Andrew Leipus.

Head-to-head: RCB lead 6-1 since 2023. RCB lead 19-18 overall in 37 matches.

Injuries/Unavailability: Lockie Ferguson missed the Delhi Capitals fixture with a niggle, Ben Dwarshuis and Xavier Bartlett filled in. Leipus: "I'm pretty sure we'll have a full squad to choose from."

Tactics & Match-ups: Virat Kohli strikes at 174.13 against Arshdeep Singh but the PBKS quick has dismissed Devdutt Padikkal four times in 43 balls.

Probable XII: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Suryansh Shedge, Shashank Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Lockie Ferguson, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Injuries/Unavailability: No new known absences.

Tactics & Match-ups: Bhuvneshwar Kumar has dismissed Prabhsimran Singh five times in 57 deliveries. Shreyas Iyer has fallen to Bhuvneshwar thrice and to Josh Hazlewood four times in 22 deliveries.

Probable XII: Jacob Bethell, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Tim David, Jitesh Sharma, Venkatesh Iyer, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam Dar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood

• Virat Kohli's strike rate in the first 10 balls of IPL 2026 is 172.81. In his last Dharamsala outing, he scored 92 (47).
• Bhuvneshwar Kumar has the best economy rate in the Powerplay in IPL 2026 (minimum 10 overs): 6.92
• PBKS are one of four teams to use the same opening pair all through IPL 2026. Arya and Prabhsimran have the best opening partnership run-rate this season – 12.94.

"I think the altitude in Dharamsala does play some role. Perhaps it might favour us because we've been here longer. The ball travels a bit faster. The wicket in the last match was different to the wicket in the first game." – Andrew Leipus, PBKS' head of sports science