IPL 2025: PBKS disappoints in last home tie at Mullanpur but Kohli’s royal knock wins hearts
The Mullanpur stadium hosted the IPL games for the second season and now, fans will next witness the ICC Women’s Cricket ODI World Cup league games and the final happening in October and November
Hoping to see Punjab Kings (PBKS) end their home matches at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, on a winning note, fans went home disappointed on Sunday evening as chasemaster Virat Kohli anchored Royal Challengers’ Bangalore (RCB) seven-wicket victory.
While PBKS struggled on their home ground, RCB raced away to their fifth win of the tournament with Kohli enthralling the crowd with his unbeaten 71-run knock which set up the win. Even though, PBKS lost the game, the Kohli fans were jubilant seeing the cricketer hit his 67th 50-plus score in IPL, the most for any player in this format.
“I am a huge Virat Kohli fan. I support PBKS in the IPL but when they play RCB, I support Virat. He is my hero. I cheered all the beautiful shots he played during the match. The pitch looked a bit slow, and it needed a knock like Virat’s to make it count in the win. I was thrilled to see him remain unbeaten in the end,” said Gurpreet Singh, a young fan after the match ended. His 54-ball included seven hits to the fence and one six.
RCB made 159/3 in 18.5 overs in reply to PBKS 157/6 in 20 overs. Kohli and Devdutt Paddikal added 103 runs together to help their team chase down the target.
PBKS won against Chennai Superkings and Kolkata Knight Riders in their previous Mullanpur stadium home matches and lost to Rajasthan Royals and now to RCB. They will play three home matches at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association, Dharamsala Stadium, in the coming days.
Even though, it was a hot blazing-day game, the stadium was housefull, with fans rooting for PBKS and cheering for Virat. Praising Kohli’s knock, PBKS head coach and former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said, “Virat bats through tonight, sees his team home, and we weren’t good enough to capitalise on a good start. He did it for RCB.”
Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who starred in PBKS win over KKR in the last home taking four wickets, could not replicate his performance as PBKS failed to defend the total. “It was amazing to see Chahal turn the match around in the last tie. I was hoping to see the same magic from him against RCB as well but then Virat is a world-class batter he played him well,” added another fan.
The Mullanpur stadium hosted the IPL games for the second season and now, fans will next witness the ICC Women’s Cricket ODI World Cup league games and the final happening in October and November.
