How did Suyash and Hazlewood lead RCB to their fourth final with an 8-wicket victory over PBKS?

New Chandigarh, May 29 (NationPress) An exceptional display of bowling, highlighted by the impressive performances of Suyash Sharma and Josh Hazlewood, propelled the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to their fourth final in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). They triumphed over the Punjab Kings by eight wickets in a one-sided Qualifier 1 match during the 2025 season at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium here on Thursday.

The pitch provided ample support with its extra bounce, and everything went RCB's way right from the toss. Leg-spinner Suyash and a returning Hazlewood delivered outstanding performances, taking 3-17 and 3-21 respectively, dismantling the PBKS batting lineup and reducing them to a mere 101 all out in just 14.1 overs. They were well-supported by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, and Romario Shepherd, who collectively contributed four wickets to establish the foundation for a decisive victory.

During the chase, opener Phil Salt showcased his talent with a rapid 23-ball fifty, marking his fastest half-century in IPL history, finishing unbeaten on 56 off 27 balls, as RCB completed the chase with 10 overs remaining. RCB will now prepare for their fourth IPL final on June 3 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, while PBKS will have another opportunity to reach the final when they square off in Qualifier 2 against the winner of the Eliminator clash at the same venue on Sunday.

Dayal provided RCB with a bright start by dismissing Priyansh Arya, who offered a simple catch to cover. Prabhsimran Singh attempted to kickstart the innings with a six off Dayal and followed up with back-to-back boundaries against Bhuvneshwar. However, Bhuvneshwar had the last laugh, taking Prabhsimran's edge off a short ball, caught effortlessly by the keeper.

RCB's relentless bowling continued to trouble PBKS as Shreyas Iyer attempted a big shot off Hazlewood, only to edge it behind to the keeper. Hazlewood struck again in the last over of the power-play, catching Josh Inglis at deep fine leg, leaving PBKS at 48/4 at the end of the six-over phase.

The downfall of PBKS continued as Nehal Wadhera fell victim to Dayal, while Shashank Singh was bowled by a googly from Suyash. Substitute Musheer Khan faced only three balls before Suyash trapped him lbw with a well-placed delivery.

Despite Stoinis attempting a fightback, Suyash dismissed him through another well-executed googly. Azmatullah Omarzai hit a four and a six off Suyash, along with a boundary from Kyle Jamieson, helping PBKS reach three figures, with Hazlewood securing his third wicket as Jitesh Sharma took a spectacular catch.

Chasing a modest target of 102, Virat Kohli began strongly with a pull off Arshdeep Singh and added another boundary off Jamieson. Salt capitalized on the extra bounce, smashing Arshdeep for a four and a six. Unfortunately, Kohli fell in a wicket maiden over when Jamieson produced a back-of-the-length ball that caught his outside edge.

With the ball swinging, Jamieson managed to beat Mayank Agarwal multiple times before Agarwal successfully reviewed an on-field out call. Salt steadied RCB by dispatching Omarzai for two fours.

Agarwal struck an on-drive followed by Salt elegantly driving through cover, and then pulling and lofting Jamieson to accumulate 21 runs off the final power-play over. As RCB concluded their power-play at 61/1, Salt launched Harpreet Brar for a six, while Agarwal lofted and drove Musheer for a six and a four.

Musheer eventually broke the 54-run partnership as Agarwal edged a flick to slip. Nevertheless, Salt pressed on, reaching his fifty and celebrating it with a boundary off Brar.

From that point on, RCB's victory became inevitable as captain Rajat Patidar struck Musheer for four, sealing the win with an impressive slog-sweep, ensuring his team had a few days off before the crucial title clash on June 3.

Brief scores:

Punjab Kings 101 all out in 14.1 overs (Marcus Stoinis 26, Prabhsimran Singh 18; Suyash Sharma 3-17, Josh Hazlewood 3-21) lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru 106/2 in 10 overs (Phil Salt 56 not out, Mayank Agarwal 19; Kyle Jamieson 1-27, Musheer Khan 1-27) by eight wickets.