PBKS vs RCB Match 61 Live Commentary - Dharamsala (17 May 2026)

Dishes out a flat googly, short in length, Cooper Connolly hangs back and swats it down to long on for a single. 50 UP FOR PBKS!

Drag-downer, another googly and wide outside off. Suryansh Shedge presses back and cuts it to deep point for an easy single.

One more wrong'un, short and outside off. Cooper Connolly pulls it to long on for a run.

Touch short, on off, Suryansh Shedge stays deep in the crease and pulls the leggie to Virat Kohli at long on for a single.

Six!

Around the stump. Bashes the length hard, angling it into the batter. Cooper Connolly is pinned in the crease and looks to glance it off the back foot but misses and is hit on the thigh pad.

 FOUR! Timed to perfection! Overpitched back-of-the-hand slower delivery, on middle and leg, Cooper Connolly brings his bat out in front and drills it straight down the ground, beating mid off's dive to his left and picks up a boundary.

Nagging length, slanting in and around the leg stump, skidding through. Cooper is rushed on the pull shot. Misses and the ball deflects away off the thigh pad to short third.

In-between length, on middle, Connolly tucks it to mid-wicket.

 SIX! Off the top edge! At 134.2 kph, short of a good length, on top of off. Cooper Connolly swings the bat hard to pull it into the stands over square leg, but the ball kicks up ever so slightly and takes the top edge. Flies over the deep fine leg fence for half a dozen runs.

In front of the stumps, nipping back in, full in length. Cooper Connolly flicks it to wide mid-wicket. The fielder dives to his right and parries the ball to Romario Shepherd who charges in off the ropes from long on. They cross. 11 runs off the over. The Punjab Kings end their Powerplay at 49/3.

Hits the back of a length, on off. Connolly gets on his toes to force it away. Ekes out an inside edge and it goes down to deep fine leg for a run.

Wide! Sprayed down leg, on a nagging length. Suryansh Shedge fails to help it away.

SIX! Incredible shot! Shedge backs away just as Hazlewood is about to release. Josh follows him with a cross-seam ball, on a back of a length. Suryansh still has enough room to work with it and he presses back to mow it over mid-wicket for a biggie.

Nails the yorker, on middle. Suryansh Shedge digs it out back to the bowler.

Dug in short, over middle. Suryansh advances early and ducks under it eventually.

FOUR! Streaky! At 138.3 kph, on a shortish length, angled at the bodyline of the batter. Suryansh Shedge steps out and swings across for the pull. The ball gets big on him and it goes off the top edge over the keeper's head for a four.

Wide! Down leg, slightly on the shorter side. Suryansh walks inside the line for the glance but misses.

Lands it on a back of a length, outside off. Suryansh Shedge extends his hands and steers it behind point with an open bat face. Tim David sprints to his right in the deep and dives to prevent the boundary. Looks like he has injured himself in the process. Two runs taken.

A bit of away shape, on a good length. Shreyas tries to cash in on the width and swings a bit too hard. Ends up bunting it down in front of cover.

OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Immediate impact from the Impact Sub. Cross-seam ball by Rasikh, bowled into the wicket, just outside the off stump. Just like he did when he was bowled by Shardul Thakur in the previous game against MI, Shreyas stays leg side of the ball and presents an angled bat face. The ball nips away enough to square Iyer up. It grazes the outside edge and the keeper, Jitesh Sharma gobbles it up. Punjab Kings are 19/3, in tremendous trouble, as they lose their skipper now.

Goes short but fails to get the height right, on middle. Suryansh Shedge gets behind the line and blocks it off.

A play and a miss! In the channel on off, on a back of a length. Shedge pushes away from his body and is beaten past the outside edge.

Keeps it nice and tight, on a short of a length, on off. Shedge taps it to cover from the crease.

FOUR! Suryansh Shedge is off the mark. A bit too short by Salam, outside off. Shedge gets the width to free his arms and he gets on top of the bounce to slap it past point for a boundary.

Delivers it on a nagging length, on off and middle. Prabhsimran keeps it out off the back foot.

On top of off, coming back into the right-hander. Prabhsimran plays it late and dabs it down to deep backward point for a single.

This is on a back of a length, angling away. Cooper pushes at the ball with hard hands. Gets it off the outer half behind point for one more.

At the sticks, a bit fuller, Prabhsimran pushes it to mid on.

OUT! EDGED AND GONE! A sharp grab from Devdutt Padikkal. Wicket number 24 of the season for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Not the best of balls by Bhuvi. Short and wide on off, asking to be hit. Prabhsimran frees his arms and throws his hands at the ball. It flies off the toe end towards first slip, where Padikkal reacts quickly and takes the catch to his right at chest height. Both Punjab openers back in the hut inside 3 overs.

Goes fuller now, on off. Shreyas leans forward and pats it in front of mid off. He takes a quick single to open his account.

In the channel, a bit short, Prabhsimran extends his hands and cuts it to deep backward point for a single to get off the mark.

Bowled on middle and leg, on a back of a length. Connolly nudges it to mid-wicket.

FOUR! Quality shot! Nothing wrong with the ball. Just outside the off stump, on a short of a good length. Connolly gets on his toes to ride the bounce and plays it close to his body. He punches it through point and picks up a boundary.

Tighter line, on middle, on a nagging length. Cooper punches it on the rise to cover-point.

SIX! This has been a really positive start from Connolly. Hazlewood switches to around the wicket and pushes the length up, on middle. Cooper hangs deep in the crease but gets his hands out in front and whips it over long on for a six.

Fine riposte from Hazlewood. It is the nip-backer and the length is pulled back, on middle. Connolly hangs back to deal with it but is cut in half due to the seam movement. A good diving take to his right by Jitesh Sharma.

Beats the bat straight away! At 132.3 kph, moving away off the seam, on a back of a length. Arya hangs back and has a slight fiddle at it. Gets beaten on the outside edge.

Wide! Fuller and going down leg, Priyansh misses out on the tickle. The Kings are underway with this extra.

At 136.9 kph, on a short of a good length, over off. Arya angles it from the crease to cover-point.

OUT! CAUGHT! A soft dismissal. A three-ball duck for Priyansh Arya and the home side suffer an early blow. Fractionally short, on middle and leg. Arya stays back in the crease and looks to jab it away in front of square on the leg side. The ball comes off the toe end of the blade and balloons to mid on, where Romario Shepherd moves a bit to his left and gets low to snaffle it. PBKS are 1/1, chasing 223.

FOUR! Untidy from Romario Shepherd. Shaping back in sharply, full and on middle and leg. Cooper Connolly brings his bat out in front and drives it wide of mid on. Shepherd moves to his right but is late to get down. The ball goes through his hands before nutmegging him and races towards the fence.

Beaten! Bhuvneshwar gets the ball to leave the left-hander, on a length. Connolly pushes away from his body and the ball whistles past the outside edge.

From around the wicket now, on a back of a length, angled in on middle. Cooper taps it from the crease to mid off.