New Chandigarh, May 29 (NationPress) Opener Phil Salt achieved an incredible feat by scoring a 23-ball fifty, marking his fastest fifty in the Indian Premier League (IPL). With this remarkable performance, Royal Challengers Bengaluru charged into the finals of the 2025 season, securing a commanding eight-wicket victory over Punjab Kings in a lopsided Qualifier 1 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Thanks to three-wicket hauls from Suyash Sharma and Josh Hazlewood, RCB dismissed a formidable PBKS batting lineup for just 101 runs in 14.1 overs. Salt dazzled with his exquisite stroke-play, remaining unbeaten on 56 off 27 balls, completing the chase with 10 overs to spare.

RCB is all set for their fourth IPL final on June 3 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, while PBKS has another opportunity to reach the final in Qualifier 2 against the winner of the Eliminator on Sunday.

Beginning the chase for a modest target of 102, Virat Kohli quickly got RCB off the blocks with a pull against Arshdeep Singh, followed by a glance to Kyle Jamieson for another boundary. Salt capitalized on the extra bounce, striking Arshdeep for a four and a six. However, Kohli's innings ended in the fourth over when Jamieson bowled a back-of-the-length delivery that caught his edge.

With the ball swinging, Jamieson managed to trouble Mayank Agarwal, who eventually reviewed a close call and overturned the on-field decision. Salt helped ease RCB’s tension by skillfully navigating Azmatullah Omarzai’s deliveries, finding the boundary on multiple occasions.

Agarwal's on-drive was followed by Salt's stunning cover drive, and he later clobbered Jamieson for two fours and a six, bringing RCB to 61/1 at the end of the power-play. Salt then launched Harpreet Brar for six, while Agarwal lofted and drove Musheer Khan for six and four.

Musheer eventually broke the 54-run partnership as Agarwal fell to a catch at slip. Salt, however, pushed ahead, reaching his fifty off just 23 balls and celebrated with a four off Harpreet Brar. RCB’s victory was inevitable, as captain Rajat Patidar struck Musheer for a four and sealed the win with an impressive slog-sweep, granting his team a well-deserved break before the crucial title match 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