For the longest time, Punjab Kings seemed to be a lock in for the playoffs, possibly even a top-two spot. Then they slipped, and stumbled and continued to slide to reach a position where their playoffs spot is in serious doubt. On Sunday, PBKS lost their sixth game in a row, going down to Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 23 runs in another run-fest in Dharamsala. The result helped RCB become the first team to make the IPL 2026 playoffs, but also left PBKS in a precarious position with just one game remaining. The curse of the second half, if there ever was.

It was a game RCB dominated pretty much from top to bottom. RCB muscled their way to 222 for 4 on the back of a rollicking half-century from their No. 4. No, not Rajat Patidar. He missed the game and Venkatesh Iyer, who has largely been an Impact Player this season, got a promotion. Batting in the top order for the first time in IPL 2026, Venkatesh showed his class, smashing an unbeaten 73 off 40, while Virat Kohli (57 off 37) and Devdutt Padikkal (45 off 25) also played their part in RCB’s tall score.

PBKS’ chase got off to the worst possible start with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rasikh Salam reducing them to 19 for 3 inside four overs. Suryansh Shedge and Marcus Stoinis counterattacked but the required rate continued to surge. Shashank Singh smashed 56 off 27 balls but his innings came too late in the game. With PBKS needing 40 off the last two overs, 19th and Rasikh picked up two wickets in the 20th as PBKS were kept to 199 for 8.

Left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar struck with his second ball, but that was the only wicket PBKS managed in a powerplay dominated by RCB. Jacob Bethell’s patchy form with the bat continued as he inside-edged Brar and lost his off bail. But Devdutt Padikkal was at his aggressive best. He lifted Brar first ball over the long-off fence for six before nudging Lockie Ferguson through fine leg.

Kohli, at the other end, was fluent as well. He hit Azmatullah Omarzai for six over extra cover, albeit not off the middle of the bat, before welcoming Ferguson into the bowling crease with a trademark flick of the wrists over deep midwicket. Arshdeep was also scythed over square leg with RCB ending the powerplay on 61 for 1.

Kohli reached 500 runs in an IPL season for a record ninth time and soon notched up another half-century, his fourth of IPL 2026, along with a century. It wasn’t the most fluent Kohli innings but he still struck at 156.75, with four fours and three sixes adding 76 off 42 balls for the second wicket with Padikkal, who was in sublime form again. He hit Yuzvendra Chahal for two sixes in the seventh over and then attacked Omarzai before falling to Brar. Kohli brought out his trademark flick if the wrists to send Shashank over cow corner but fell soon after reaching fifty flicking Chahal to deep midwicket.

Venkatesh has had limited chances this season. Twice he has come in as an Impact Player and in the one game he was in the starting XI, he didn’t bat. He looked out of sorts initially, was on 9 off 10 but one misfield from Arshdeep Singh at mid-off and his innings took flight. He hit Brar for back-to-back fours and then took Chahal for two sixes.

With RCB on 157 for 3, Venkatesh hit top gear. He scooped Omarzai twice in two balls, and then took on Ferguson for 6, 4, 0, 6 to reach his fifty off just 29 balls. This was Venkatesh’s first fifty for RCB and helped RCB go past the 200 mark – the ninth time that PBKS conceded a 200-plus total this season. Tim David didn’t hang back in the death, finishing on 28 off 12 as RCB put up an above-par score.

To chase down RCB’s 222, a Prabharya special was required. But the duo lasted a combined eight balls. To make matters worse, Shreyas Iyer fell for just 1 with PBKS’ chase falling apart even before properly beginning. Bhuvneshwar sent back Priyansh Arya with a hard length ball that was swiped to mid-on in the first over. He then had Prabhsimran Singh toe-edging to first slip before a lovely Rasikh outswinger accounted for Shreyas Iyer. At 19 for 3 in 3.2 overs, PBKS, to put it mildly, were in a hole.

Cooper Connolly and Shedge counterattacked and succeeded to an extent. Josh Hazlewood was taken for 26 off his first two overs, while Rasikh went for 11 off his second but PBKS only managed 49 for 3 in their powerplay with the required rate ballooning to 12.42.

Shashank and Omarzai delayed the inevitable but both fell in the last over as PBKS failed to even reach 200. Ricky Ponting’s forlorn look sitting alone in the dugout after the game had a story to tell. PBKS were on 13 points after seven games. Thirteen games into the season, they are still on 13.

Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 222 for 4 in 20 overs (Jacob Bethell 11, Virat Kohli 58, Devudutt  Padikkal 45, Venkatesh Iyer 73*,  Tim David 28; Arshdeep Singh 1-43, Harpreet  Brar 2-35, Yuzvendra Chahal 1-42) beat Punjab Kings 199 for 8 in 20 overs  (Cooper Connolly 37, Suryansh Shedge 35, Marcus Stoinis 37, Shashank Singh 56,  Azmatullah Omarzai 14; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2-38, Josh Hazelwood 1-36,   Rasikh Salam 3-36, Suyash Sharma 1-50, Romario Shepherd 1-08) by 23 runs

[Cricinfo]

Bangladesh ruled the second day of the Sylhet Test, going to stumps with a healthy 156-run lead and only three wickets down in their second innings. The home side were 110 for 3, losing Mominul Haque on what turned out to be the last ball of the day. Before that, it was a strong showing from their bowlers who combined to restrict Pakistan to 232 for a lead of 46 runs in the first innings, before Mahmudul Hasan Joy led the second innings with a half-century to follow his duck in the first innings.

Babar Azam top-scored for Pakistan with 68 on his return to the playing XI following an injury. Bangladesh’s bowling attack once again combined wonderfully, with Nahid Rana and Taijul Islam taking three wickets each. This, after Taskin Ahmed and Mehidy Hasan Miraz shared the first four wickets in the morning session.

Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto was unbeaten on 13 at stumps after Mominul fell for 30. Mahmudul reached a quick half-century off 58 balls, as Bangladesh sped out of the blocks on the second evening despite an early setback. Khurram Shahzad removed the debutant Tanzid Hasan for 4 with a delivery that squared up the left-hand batter, who edged the ball to Saud Shakeel at gully.

Brief scores:
Bangladesh 278 and 110 for 3 in 26.4 overs  (Mahmudul Hasan Joy 52, Mominul Haque 30;Khurram  Shahzad 2-19) lead  Pakistan 232 in 57.4 overs (Babar Azam 68, Saijd Khan 38; Taskin Ahmed 2-37, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 2-21, Nahid  Rana 3-60, Taijul Islam 3-67) by 156 runs

[Cricinfo]

Fatima Sana will lead Pakistan at a T20 World Cup for the second consecutive edition after the PCB announced the squads for their upcoming T20I tri-series in Ireland, as well as the World Cup.

The squad features a blend of continuity and fresh inclusions, with 34-year-old batter Iram Javeed retaining her place despite a difficult recent run. Eyman Fatima, Natalia Pervaiz, Rameen Shamim, Saira Jabeen and Tasmia Rubab will travel to their maiden T20 World Cup.

Pakistan will look to overturn a run of indifferent performances at recent ICC events. At the last T20 World Cup in 2024, they exited in the group stage with one win in four games, while in 2022, they finished bottom of the pile with six defeats in seven. At last year’s ODI World Cup, Pakistan propped up the table again and were the only team in the tournament to end winless, though three of their games were washed out.

Pakistan will first travel to Ireland, where they play a tri-series that also includes West Indies from May 28 to June 4 in Dublin. Their first game at the World Cup is on June 14, against India in Birmingham. They play South Africa, the finalists from the 2024 edition, next, followed by Bangladesh, Australia and Netherlands. They will also take part in two warm-up fixtures against Sri Lanka and Scotland.

Pakistan’s most recent T20I series was a dominating 3-0 win over Zimbabwe at home, which included Sana scoring the fastest half-century in women’s T20I cricket, taking just 15 balls.

Pakistan squad for Ireland tri-series and T20 World Cup

Fatima Sana (capt), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Eyman Fatima, Gull Feroza, Iram Javed, Muneeba Ali (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Pervaiz, Rameen Shamim, Sadia Iqbal, Saira Jabeen, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba Hassan

Reserves Amber Kainat, Momina Riasat, Sadaf Shamas, Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah, Umm-e-Hani

[Cricinfo]