A blockbuster batting performance, led by Virat Kohli (92 off 47), coupled with a brilliant fielding effort, helped the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) register their fourth win on the trot as they beat Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 60 runs and kept their chances alive at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala.

Kohli rode his luck after being dropped twice early in the innings and made PBKS pay with a fantastic knock of 92 off 47. He put on a blistering 76-run stand with Rajat Patidar, who played a brilliant counter-attacking knock of 55(23), to help set the platform. Cameron Green (46 off 27) and Dinesh Karthik (18 off 7) provided crucial late surge to propel the visitors to a formidable 241/7.

A stupendous catch running backwards from Faf du Plessis, a sensational off-balance direct-hit run out from Kohli and a crucial spell of 2/29 from Karn Sharma led RCB's turnaround as they bowled PBKS out for 181 in 17 overs.

Defending 242, RCB got off to a good start as Swapnil Singh trapped Prabhsimran Singh LBW in the first over. Rilee Rossouw started off well with consecutive fours off his first two balls. RCB could have had Rossouw early but on a day of drops, Faf du Plessis couldn't hold on to a tough chance after Rossouw smashed one to backward point. The PBKS batter made RCB pay as he went berserk against Mohd. Siraj in the next over, smacking three fours and a six. Jonny Bairstow too switched gears as the pair added 65 runs off just 30 balls before Lockie Ferguson broke the partnership in the last over of the Powerplay, having Bairstow caught at mid off. Faf du Plessis plucked a brilliant catch running backwards to break the rampaging stand as PBKS reached 75/2 at the end of the Powerplay.

Runs backwards, keeps calm & takes a beauty of a catch! 👏 👏

Take a bow, @faf1307! 🙌 🙌#PBKS 2 down for 75 after Powerplay!

Watch the match LIVE on @StarSportsIndia and @JioCinema 💻📱#TATAIPL | #PBKSvRCB | @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/EVrzu1YYPv

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 9, 2024

Rossouw, though, went from strength to strength and brought up his fifty off just 21 balls, in style, with a four and a six off Green. With Rossouw going great guns, captain Faf du Plessis called on the in-form Karn Sharma to do the job, and he obliged his skipper, having Rossouw (61 off 27) caught at long on, bouncing back strongly after being hit for a four and a six earlier in the over. It turned the match around. The wily leg-spinner displayed his bounceback ability once again as he cleaned up Impact Player Jitesh Sharma in his next over after being hit for a six and a four earlier in the over. PBKS lost three in quick succession as Swapnil Singh sent back Liam Livingstone for a duck in the next over. Shashank Singh was looking confident in the middle but a sensational fielding effort brought an end to his 37-run knock (off 19 balls) as Kohli's off-balance direct hit found him short. It was another crucial moment in the match.

He's unfolding magic tonight 💫

First with the bat & now on the field with that outstanding direct hit 🎯

Watch the match LIVE on @StarSportsIndia and @JioCinema 💻📱#TATAIPL | #PBKSvRCB | @imVkohli | @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/6TsRbpamxG

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 9, 2024

RCB kept picking up wickets regularly as Mohd. Siraj trapped Ashutosh Sharma LBW and Lockie Ferguson cleaned up captain Sam Curran to reduce PBKS to 170/8. Siraj then finished it off in the 17th over, sending back Harshal Patel and Arshdeep Singh as RCB cruised to a big win.

Earlier, PBKS won the toss and elected to field. The match got off to an eventful start as Kohli was dropped twice inside the first three overs. Debutant Vidwath Kaverappa travelled a roller-coaster of mixed emotions in his first two overs. He could have had the wicket of Virat Kohli off the third ball of his IPL career as Kohli top-edged one high in the air on the off side, but Ashutosh Sharma, running backwards, couldn't hold on to a tough chance. Du Plessis then added salt to PBKS's woulds bY ending the over with two fours. 

Kaverappa, though, didn't have to wait long for his maiden wicket as he had Faf du Plessis caught at deep point in his next over. He could have had Kohli again, in the same over, but Rilee Rossouw couldn't hold on to a difficult chance at cover after Kohli had absolutely smashed it with all the power. 

Kohli and Jacks then upped the ante, smashing a couple of fours and a six off Sam Curran. Kohli's battle at the other end with Kaverappa was developing into a fascinating one. The RCB batter charged down the track and hit the first ball of the fifth over straight down the ground for a six, but Kaverappa bounced back to have the ominous looking Jacks caught at short fine leg with Harshal Patel pulling off a fine catch. Two balls later, Kaverappa could have had his third wicket when Rajat Patidar swung one uppishly to long leg but to the despair and disappointment of Kaverappan, Harshal dropped an easy chance. 

Patidar made Harshal pay for the drop as he hit three fours in his first over, which was the last over of the Powerplay as RCB reached 56/2 at the end of the first six overs. The pair went on a six-hitting spree, hitting five sixes in the next two overs.

𝗔𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗮 ✈️

Rajat Patidar is smacking them with ease & flare at the moment! 👌💥

Watch the match LIVE on @JioCinema and @StarSportsIndia 💻📱#TATAIPL | #PBKSvRCB pic.twitter.com/BtCcWmIm8n

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 9, 2024

But Patidar got lucky in between, as Jonny Bairstow couldn't hold onto a tough chance after Patidar edged one off Rahul Chahar. The pair brought up the 50-run stand off just 21 balls and Patidar too brought up his fifty off 21 balls with a six off Curran. The PBKS captain, though, bounced back hard in the same over and provided the home side some relief as he had the rampaging Patidar (55 off 23) caught behind three balls later, before rain and hail halted play. 

PBKS pulled things back a bit post the break, giving away 14 runs off two overs. Kohli then upped the scoring, hitting consecutive fours off Livingstone as he brought up his sixth fifty-plus score of the season. Kohli and Green continued to play some powerful and delightful strokes and added 92 off 45 balls.

Going..Going..GONE!

Virat Kohli clobbers that delivery into the stands in grand fashion! 💥

Watch the match LIVE on @JioCinema and @StarSportsIndia 💻📱#TATAIPL | #PBKSvRCB pic.twitter.com/Y5eVp7Q6fN

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 9, 2024

Kohli, however, couldn't get to his century as he hit a four and a six off Arshdeep but ended up holing out to deep point off the next ball on 92.

The Punjab Kings bounce back with crucial breakthroughs, especially the big one of Virat Kohli 👏👏#RCB 238/5 with 5 deliveries left

Watch the match LIVE on @JioCinema and @StarSportsIndia 💻📱#TATAIPL | #PBKSvRCB pic.twitter.com/9mu2bMjrWV

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 9, 2024

Dinesh Karthik played a nice little cameo of 18 off 7 balls, but Harshal Patel bowled a brilliant last over, picking up three wickets (Dinesh Karthik, Mahipal Lomror and Cameron Green (46 off 27)) and giving away just three runs as RCB finished on 241/7. RCB introduced Yash Dayal as their Impact Player, replacing Rajat Patidar at the start of the second innings.