Punjab Kings spinner Harpreet Brar gave his side the primary breakthrough against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru during their IPL 2026 clash on the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Sunday, May 17.
The left-arm spinner dismissed opener Jacob Bethell for 11 runs off seven balls, ending the 21-run opening partnership shortly after being hit for a boundary on the very first ball of his spell. The wicket got here within the third over of RCB’s innings.
Brar delivered a fuller ball at 96.3 kmph, and Bethell attempted a cut shot but didn’t get enough room to free his arms. The ball turned in sharply, causing the batter to cut it back onto his stumps. Brar looked fired up after the dismissal and celebrated the wicket with great intensity.
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Harpreet Brar is featuring in just his second match of the IPL 2026 season. The 30-year-old left-arm spinner had earlier registered figures of 0/25 against Rajasthan Royals on April 28. Thus far, he has taken 36 wickets in 51 IPL appearances. The Punjab-based franchise retained him for ₹1.5 crore ahead of the 2026 auction.
Virat Kohli And Devdutt Padikkal Rebuild RCB Innings After Early Blow In IPL 2026 Match
Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal helped stabilise the innings for Royal Challengers Bengaluru after the early dismissal of Jacob Bethell within the IPL 2026 clash. Earlier, Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bowl first. On the time of writing, RCB were 53/1 after 5.1 overs with Kohli and Padikkal batting in the center.
RCB currently sit at the highest of the points table with eight wins from 12 matches. One other victory against PBKS would further strengthen their probabilities of ending in the highest two before the playoffs. Then again, the Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab side are placed fourth with six wins in 12 matches.
Nonetheless, they’ve suffered 4 consecutive defeats, including two losses in Dharamsala. Punjab need a win against RCB to stay within the playoff race. Meanwhile, RCB have won each of their last three matches against PBKS in 2025.
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