Bengaluru demolishes Punjab to reach its first IPL final since 2016
Punjab Kings' Nehal Wadhera bowled out during the Indian Premier League qualifier cricket match between Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Cricket Stadium in Mohali, India, Thursday, May 29, 2025. (AP Photo)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli fields during the Indian Premier League qualifier cricket match between Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Cricket Stadium in Mohali, India, Thursday, May 29, 2025. (AP Photo)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Josh Hazlewood celebrates the dismissal of Punjab Kings' Azmatullah Omarzai with teammates during the Indian Premier League qualifier cricket match between Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Cricket Stadium in Mohali, India, Thursday, May 29, 2025. (AP Photo)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Josh Hazlewood celebrates the dismissal of Punjab Kings' Azmatullah Omarzai with teammates during the Indian Premier League qualifier cricket match between Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Cricket Stadium in Mohali, India, Thursday, May 29, 2025. (AP Photo)
Punjab Kings' Nehal Wadhera bowled out during the Indian Premier League qualifier cricket match between Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Cricket Stadium in Mohali, India, Thursday, May 29, 2025. (AP Photo)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli fields during the Indian Premier League qualifier cricket match between Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Cricket Stadium in Mohali, India, Thursday, May 29, 2025. (AP Photo)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Josh Hazlewood celebrates the dismissal of Punjab Kings' Azmatullah Omarzai with teammates during the Indian Premier League qualifier cricket match between Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Cricket Stadium in Mohali, India, Thursday, May 29, 2025. (AP Photo)
MOHALI, India (AP) — Royal Challengers Bengaluru bowled out Punjab Kings for 101 to qualify for their first Indian Premier League final since 2016 with a resounding eight-wicket victory in the qualifier 1 on Thursday.
Phil Salt's blazing unbeaten 56 off 27 balls powered Bengaluru to 106-2 in just 10 overs and handed Punjab the biggest-ever defeat in IPL playoff history in terms of balls remaining.
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Punjab, in the playoffs for the first time in 11 years, will have another chance to qualify for next Tuesday's final when it faces the winner of Friday's eliminator between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans.
The return of Josh Hazlewood (3-21) bolstered Bengaluru's pace attack as the Australian fast bowler dismissed captain Shreyas Iyer (2) and Josh Inglis (4) that saw Punjab slipping to 38-4 inside the batting power play.
The two other Bengaluru fast bowlers — Yash Dayal (2-26) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1-17) — also struck inside the first six overs before leg-spinner Suyash Sharma picked up 3-17 to bowl out Punjab in 14.1 overs.
Marcus Stoinis top-scored with 26 off 17 balls but was undone by Sharma's googly and was clean bowled while Punjab's ploy to bring in Musheer Khan as impact player for the first time this season didn't work out as he was trapped leg before wicket by Sharma for duck.
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Bengaluru lost Virat Kohli (12) and Mayank Agarwal (19), but Salt batted with aggression, hitting six fours and three sixes in his unbeaten half-century as Bengaluru cruised to its first IPL final since losing the 2016 final to Sunrisers Hyderabad.
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