Punjab beat Bengaluru by five wickets in rain-hit match

Punjab Kings executed a near-flawless bowling performance and backed it up with a steady chase to secure a five-wicket win over Royal Challeng-ers Bengaluru in a rain-affected Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday night.

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The match, originally slated for a full 20-over contest, was reduced to 14 overs per side following an evening downpour that delayed the start until 9:45 pm.

Despite the shortened format, the action was intense and showcased the contrasting fortunes of the two sides. Batting first after Punjab Kings captain Shreyas lyer opted to field, RCB crumbled under sustained pressure and limped to 95 for 9 in their allotted 14 overs.

The only semblance of resistance came from Tim David, who remained unbeaten on 50 off just 26 balls-scoring more than half of his team's runs.

His powerful cameo, laced with clean strikes including three consecutive sixes off Harpreet Brar, was the lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal batting performance.

Punjab's bowlers were relentless from the outset. Arshdeep Singh (2/23) set the tone in the very first over, removing the dangerous Phil Salt with a delivery that Salt tried to launch out of the park, only to be caught smartly by keeper Josh Inglis. Arshdeep soon doubled his tally by dismissing Virat Kohli, who fell to a sharp catch by Marco Jansen after misjudging a pull.