PBKS vs RCB IPL 2026: Date, time, venue and squads for Match 61
Synopsis
PBKS vs RCB at Dharamshala on 17 May is far more than a mid-table fixture — it is a playoff pressure test. Punjab, once the tournament's form side, have lost five straight and cannot afford another slip. RCB, riding Kohli's century form, are chasing top-two seeding. Their head-to-head is level at 19-18 in RCB's favour across 37 meetings, and the defending champions won the last time these two met.
Key Takeaways
PBKS vs RCB , IPL 2026 Match 61 , is scheduled for Sunday, 17 May at 3:30 PM IST at HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala .
Punjab Kings have lost five consecutive matches and sit fourth on the table with 13 points from 12 games .
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have won 8 of 12 matches and are near-certain playoff qualifiers targeting a top-two finish.
Virat Kohli scored a century in RCB's previous match against Kolkata Knight Riders .
In 37 IPL meetings , RCB lead the head-to-head 19-18 ; RCB won the last encounter on 3 June 2025 .
Live broadcast on Star Sports ; streaming on JioHotstar .
Punjab Kings (PBKS) face defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Match 61 of IPL 2026 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamshala on Sunday, 17 May, at 3:30 PM IST. The contest carries high playoff stakes for both sides, with PBKS fighting to arrest a damaging losing streak and RCB chasing a top-two finish.
Where PBKS Stand Heading In
Shreyas Iyer's Punjab Kings started IPL 2026 in electric form, winning six of their first seven matches to position themselves as genuine title contenders. That momentum, however, has since evaporated — the side has lost five consecutive matches and now sits fourth on the points table with 13 points from 12 games. A defeat on Sunday could see them slip out of the top four entirely, making this a must-win encounter for the Kings.
RCB's Dominant Run and Kohli's Form
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have been among the most consistent sides in the tournament, recording eight wins from 12 matches. They arrive at Dharamshala in strong form, having beaten the Kolkata Knight Riders in their previous outing on the back of a brilliant century from Virat Kohli. RCB, captained by Rajat Patidar, are virtually assured of a playoff berth and are now targeting a top-two finish that would give them two bites at the final.
Head-to-Head Record
The two franchises have met 37 times in IPL history. RCB hold a slender edge with 19 wins against PBKS's 18 — no ties or no-results have been recorded between them. Their first encounter dates to 5 May 2008, when Punjab came out on top. The most recent meeting, on 3 June 2025, went RCB's way — and they went on to lift the trophy that season. Notably, this will be their first meeting in IPL 2026.
How to Watch PBKS vs RCB
The match will be broadcast live on Star Sports channels across India. Live streaming is available on JioHotstar. The game begins at 3:30 PM IST on Sunday, 17 May, from the HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala.
Full Squads
Punjab Kings: Shreyas Iyer (c), Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harpreet Brar, Suryansh Shedge, Vishnu Vinod (wk), Xavier Bartlett, Yash Thakur, Mitchell Owen, Harnoor Singh, Musheer Khan, Pyla Avinash, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Pravin Dubey, Vishal Nishad.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Rajat Patidar (c), Virat Kohli, Tim David, Jacob Bethell, Romario Shepherd, Josh Hazlewood, Nuwan Thushara, Devdutt Padikkal, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Dar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jordan Cox, Suyash Sharma, Venkatesh Iyer, Swapnil Singh, Jacob Duffy, Kanishk Chouhan, Abhinandan Singh, Mangesh Yadav, Phil Salt, Satvik Deswal, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra.
With PBKS desperate for points and RCB hunting top-two seeding, Sunday's clash at Dharamshala sets up as one of the more consequential fixtures of the IPL 2026 league stage.
Point of View
Not deep squad depth. Five straight losses suggest opponents have found a blueprint against Shreyas Iyer's side, and Dharamshala's conditions may not bail them out. RCB, by contrast, have Kohli in the kind of form that distorts opposition plans. The real subplot is whether PBKS's bowling attack — Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal aside — can contain a batting lineup that now has Tim David and Jacob Bethell alongside Kohli. A PBKS defeat here would likely trigger a final-day scramble for the fourth playoff spot that could go to the wire.
NationPress
10 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is the PBKS vs RCB IPL 2026 match?
The match is scheduled for Sunday, 17 May 2026, at 3:30 PM IST at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamshala. It is the 61st match of the IPL 2026 season.
Where can I watch PBKS vs RCB live?
The match will be broadcast live on Star Sports channels in India. Live streaming is available on JioHotstar.
What is the current form of PBKS heading into this match?
Punjab Kings have lost five consecutive matches after a strong start that saw them win six of their first seven games. They are currently fourth on the IPL 2026 points table with 13 points from 12 matches.
What is the head-to-head record between PBKS and RCB in the IPL?
PBKS and RCB have met 37 times in IPL history, with RCB leading 19-18. Their first meeting was on 5 May 2008 (won by PBKS), and the most recent was on 3 June 2025, which RCB won before going on to lift the IPL 2025 title.
Why is this match important for RCB?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have won 8 of 12 matches and are almost certain to qualify for the playoffs. A win against PBKS would strengthen their bid for a top-two finish, which grants two opportunities to reach the final.
