Defending champions Bengaluru enter the fixture as clear favorites, sitting comfortably at the top of the standings with eight wins from twelve matches. Rajat Patidar’s men are just a single victory away from officially securing a playoff berth and will eye a top-two finish
Updated: May 17, 2026 12:56 PM IST
It will be a replay of the 2025 Indian Premier League final as the reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru lock horns with a dreadful Punjab Kings side, which is currently on a winless streak of 5 games on the trot but they will be determined to get back to winning ways. The two teams will meet at the scenic HPCA Stadium Dharamshala.
Defending champions Bengaluru enter the fixture as clear favorites, sitting comfortably at the top of the standings with eight wins from twelve matches. Rajat Patidar’s men are just a single victory away from officially securing a playoff berth and will eye a top-two finish.
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They hold a massive wave of momentum, especially after a stellar victory against Kolkata Knight Riders, powered by a majestic century from an in-form Virat Kohli.
In contrast, Punjab Kings find themselves in absolute desperation.
Despite a spectacular start to the season where they went unbeaten in their first seven games, Shreyas Iyer’s side has cratered into a five-match losing streak.
Another defeat will completely shut the playoff doors on them. While their batting, led by Cooper Connolly and Shreyas Iyer has consistently breached the 200-run mark, their bowling has repeatedly leaked runs in the death overs, failing to defend massive totals.
The primary battle to watch will be in the Powerplay. Purple Cap holder Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood will look to exploit the early movement for Bengaluru, while Punjab’s Arshdeep Singh aims to disrupt Kohli’s rhythm.
If Punjab’s bowling unit cannot discover discipline in the final five overs, Bengaluru’s well-oiled machine looks poised to seal their knockout spot.
Punjab Kings Vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, IPL 2026 match no 61 Predicted XI
PBKS: 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
RCB: 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
