Summary of this article
PBKS have won the toss and elected to bat first
If PBKS lose the match, they'll virtually eliminate from the tournament
The match is being played at the serene HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala
Low on confidence Punjab Kings (PBKS) will have their playoff chances on line as they take on the in-form Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the picturesque HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala in match 61 of the Indian Premier League on Sunday, May 17.
The second half of the tournament has been nothing short of a disaster for PBKS as they have lost their first consecutive matches after winning six straight games in the first half.
Now the equation is such that if they lose this match against table-toppers RCB, then they'll be more or less out of the tournament, and the Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab will have to bring in their A game to outclass the defending champions.
On the other hand, RCB are most well-placed team of the tournament. With 16 points from 12 games, they are sitting at the top of the standings and are just one win away from sealing a berth in the playoffs and bolstering their chances of finishing in the top two.
Two Indian veterans, Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, have been the vital cogs of a well-oiled RCB unit and have been excellent in their respective departments to get their team in such a strong position in the tournament.
Both these last met in the final of IPL 2025, where RCB beat PBKS by 6 runs to clinch their maiden title, and once again, they are up against each other in a high-stakes clash.
PBKS Vs RCB, IPL 2026: Toss Update
Punjab Kings have won the toss and elected to field first against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
PBKS Vs RCB, IPL 2026: Playing XIs
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Jacob Bethell, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Venkatesh Iyer, Jitesh Sharma(w/c), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma
Punjab Kings: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh(w), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer(c), Suryansh Shedge, Shashank Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harpreet Brar, Lockie Ferguson, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal
