Match overview
Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Punjab Kings by 24 runs at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali on 20 April 2023. RCB batted first, posting 174/4 across their 20 overs, before bowling Punjab Kings out for 150 in the chase. Mohammed Siraj was named Player of the Match. Punjab Kings won the toss and chose to field, a decision that backfired as RCB's top order put on an authoritative powerplay display. For RCB, a win that brought them back to winning ways after a mixed run of results. For Punjab Kings, a defeat built on a catastrophic top-order collapse from which they never recovered.
The match was, in effect, decided in the first six overs of the second innings. Punjab Kings lost four wickets for 49 runs in the powerplay, requiring their remaining six batters to score 126 more to win. They managed 101 in the subsequent 14 overs, a creditable effort but not enough.
Venue and conditions
Mohali's Punjab Cricket Association Stadium has hosted 101 IPL matches and carries a clear batting reputation on paper, with an average first-innings score of 211. RCB's 174 sat below that average, suggesting the pitch played somewhat slower than the ground's norm. The venue average powerplay score is 41 runs; RCB's 59 in their powerplay was almost 45% above that figure and represented a significant advantage banked early.
Teams choosing to field first at Mohali do so with some historical backing: 60% of toss-winners at this venue elect to field, and the chase-success rate across all 101 matches is 58%. Punjab Kings' decision to bowl was reasonable given those numbers. What undermined it was the execution in their own chase rather than the strategic call itself. Death-overs data is also worth noting: the venue average is 40 runs in the final four overs; RCB scored 44 for four in that phase, and Punjab managed just 25 for three, which tells most of the story about where the gap opened.
How to watch
IPL fixtures are broadcast in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket. Subscribers can also stream via Sky Go or access matches on a day-pass basis through NOW TV. Given the time difference between the UK and India, most IPL evening matches begin between 14:30 and 15:30 BST, with afternoon games starting around 10:00 BST. Specific kick-off times are listed on the Sky Sports Cricket schedule ahead of each match week.
Recent form
Royal Challengers Bangalore arrived in Mohali with a 2-3 record in their previous five matches. Wins against Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians had been offset by defeats to Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow Super Giants, and Kolkata Knight Riders. The inconsistency that has characterised RCB across multiple IPL seasons was still present, though this victory will have provided some momentum.
Punjab Kings came in having won three of their last five, beating Lucknow Super Giants, Rajasthan Royals, and Kolkata Knight Riders, while losing to Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad. A home fixture at Mohali gave them a reasonable base to consolidate that record; instead, the top-order batting failures replicated the kind of collapse that has cost them across multiple seasons. The result leaves the head-to-head standing at 19 wins for Royal Challengers Bangalore and 18 for Punjab Kings from 37 meetings, with RCB extending a lead that had been level at various points across the competition's history.
