IPL 2026: Two important matches were played in IPL 2026 on Sunday. In the first match, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 23 runs. Whereas, in the second match, Delhi Capitals (DC) defeated Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 5 wickets. RCB has secured the playoff ticket with its 9th win of the season.
Punjab Kings have 13 points in 13 matches
RCB has become the first team this season to reach the playoffs. RCB now has 18 points in 13 matches. Gujarat Titans are at second place in the points table, who have 16 points in 13 matches. Sunrisers Hyderabad is at third position with 14 points in 12 matches. However, the sixth consecutive defeat has made it difficult for PBKS to reach the playoffs. Punjab Kings have 13 points in 13 matches.
The equation of Rajasthan Royals has also deteriorated to some extent due to the defeat against Delhi Capitals. RR now has 12 points from 12 matches and the team will have to depend on the results of other teams along with registering a big win in both the remaining matches. Chennai Super Kings is also at sixth position in the points table with 12 points. At the same time, Delhi Capitals is at seventh position with 12 points in 13 matches. Kolkata Knight Riders remain in the race for the playoffs with 11 points in 12 matches.
RCB’s explosive innings
RCB’s excellent performance in the tournament continued against Punjab Kings as well. Batting first, the team scored 222 runs on the scoreboard after losing 4 wickets in 20 overs. For RCB, Venkatesh Iyer batted brilliantly and scored 73 runs in just 40 balls, while Devdutt Padikkal scored 45 runs in 25 balls and Virat Kohli scored 58 runs in 37 balls with the help of 4 fours and 3 sixes.
Chasing the target of 223 runs, Punjab Kings could score only 199 runs after losing 8 wickets in 20 overs. For PBKS, Shashank Singh scored the highest 56 runs, while Cooper Connolly contributed 37 runs and Marcus Stoinis contributed 37 runs. In bowling, Rasikh Salam took 3 wickets for 36 runs from RCB. Whereas, Bhuvneshwar Kumar took 2 wickets in his name.
