Before you lock in your PBKS vs RCB 2026 Match 61 figure out where to watch Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru live, pull up the head-to-head, standings, pitch report, playing11— because the stats, the players, and the entire playoff timeline are building toward this.
Five losses in a row will do that to a team: strip the confidence, tighten the dressing room, and turn a promising season into a survival act.
That’s exactly where Punjab Kings find themselves as they host Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala on Sunday, May 17, part of the afternoon double header.
PBKS sit fourth in the standings with 13 points from 12 games. They’re still in the hunt, but the runway is shrinking fast. Five straight defeats haven’t knocked them out — not yet — but one more slip and the arithmetic starts working against Shreyas Iyer’s side in ways that are hard to reverse.
RCB aren’t here to be generous. Virat Kohli, who has 484 runs at an average of 53.78 this season, arrived at Kangra Airport to fans chanting his name on the roadside — and he’s been playing like a man who knows exactly what the moment demands.
The defending champions have 16 points from 12 matches, and a top-two finish is firmly in their sights.
History tilts RCB’s way too. They lead this rivalry 18–19 in 37 IPL meetings, and have won four of the last five against Punjab.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar — 22 wickets in 12 games, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker — makes them even harder to beat. For PBKS, the mountain in front of them is real, and it’s got a Kohli-shaped shadow over it.
Where to Watch Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Match
| Match | Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
| Stadium | Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamshala |
| Date & Time | Sunday, May 17, 3:30 P.M. (IST) |
| Live Streaming | JioHotstar |
PBKS vs RCB Head-to Head Records
| Match | 37 |
| PBKS Wons | 18 |
| RCB Wons | 19 |
| No Result | Nil |
| M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | PBKS 6, RCB 7 |
| Mohali Stadium | PBKS 3, RCB 5 |
| Mullanpur Stadium | PBKS 0, RCB 2 |
| Neutral Stadium | PBKS 9, RCB 5 |
PBKS vs RCB Pitch Report
The HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala offers a unique high-altitude surface that is a dream for seamers, who find extra carry and swing due to the cool air and thin atmosphere.
While pacers dominate the powerplay, spinners often struggle here as the ball doesn’t grip much on the lush, fast outfield. Batters can capitalize on the consistent bounce once they settle, leading to an average score of around 205-215.
In IPL 2026, the chasing remains the preferred strategy as dew often makes the ball slippery during the second innings. out of 2 games chasing teams won. It’s a balanced deck where discipline wins over raw power.
Weather report
In Dharamshala, the temperature will be around 24-26 degrees Celsius in the afternoon. The humidity will settle between 25% and 29%. The wind will blow at 15 km/h from the west. The sky will be partly cloudy during the game. There is a slight possibility of rain.
PBKS vs RCB Playing 11 (Predicted)
For PBKS
Prabhsimran Singh(WK), Priyansh Arya, Shreyash Iyer(C), Cooper Connolly, Suryansh Shedge, Azmatullah Omarzai / Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Xavier Barlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal
Impact Player – Harpreet Brar / Vishnu Vinod / Vyshak Vijaykumar
For RCB
Phil Salt / Jacob Bethell, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(C), Jitesh Sharma (WK), Tim David, Venkatesh Iyer, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood
Impact Player – Rasikh Salam/ Suyash Sharma
Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Timeline
| Date | Venue | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 25, 2025 | Ahmedabad (Final) | RCB | 6 Runs |
| May 20, 2025 | Mullanpur (Q1) | RCB | 5 Wickets |
| May 10, 2025 | Mullanpur | RCB | 31 Runs |
| April 15, 2025 | Bengaluru | PBKS | 4 Wickets |
| May 9, 2024 | Dharamshala | RCB | 60 Runs |
| March 25, 2024 | Bengaluru | RCB | 4 Wickets |
| April 20, 2023 | Mohali | RCB | 24 Runs |
| May 13, 2022 | Mumbai | PBKS | 54 Runs |
| March 27, 2022 | Mumbai | PBKS | 5 Wickets |
| Oct 3, 2021 | Sharjah | RCB | 6 Runs |
Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Stats
- Virat Kohli reigns supreme as the leading run-scorer in this fixture, amassing over 1,150 runs.
- Yuzvendra Chahal holds the record for most wickets in these matchups, picking up 29 scalps for both sides.
- Virat Kohli needs just a few more runs to become the first player to hit 100 sixes against PBKS.
- The average first-innings score between these two teams is roughly 170 runs.
- A win for RCB in the next match would mark their 5th consecutive victory over Punjab.
PBKS vs RCB Prediction
Get ready for a thrilling PBKS vs RCB prediction!
After the Royal Challengers Bangaluru’s recent victory, can they conquer the Punjab Kings again?
Let’s dive into the PBKS vs RCB match scenario. In their head-to-head battles, PBKS vs RCB Head-to-head shows a close fight. But RCB got a slight edge in this rivalry. The prediction for the PBKS vs. RCB match leans slightly towards RCB, given their momentum.
Prediction: RCB won by 6-7 wickets or 6-8 runs.
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