PBKS vs RCB Match 61 Recap: Mullanpur Spin-Heavy Win

PBKS vs RCB at Mullanpur came with the subplot the marketing team didn't need to manufacture. Glenn Maxwell, freshly transferred from RCB at the 2025 mega-auction, faced his old team for the second time this season. He scored 49 off 30. Yuzvendra Chahal took 4. PBKS won by 23 runs and dragged themselves into fourth place.

Scorecard at a glance

• Punjab Kings: 182/6 in 20 overs (Maxwell 49, Cameron Green 41, Shreyas Iyer 28; Adam Zampa 2/28, Bhuvneshwar 2/34)
• Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 159 all out in 19.1 overs (Kohli 44, Patidar 32, Phil Salt 18; Chahal 4/24, Arshdeep 2/30, Rabada 2/35)
• Result: Punjab Kings won by 23 runs

A 23-run defence on a dry Mullanpur surface looked routine once Chahal got Kohli, but the build-up was tight. The standings shift is on the IPL 2026 points table.

Maxwell vs RCB grudge match

Stat	Maxwell vs RCB this season
Innings	2
Runs	81
Strike rate	168
4s/6s	8/4
Dismissals to RCB bowlers	1

Maxwell's 49 off 30 included three sixes, two of them off Adam Zampa (his Australia teammate). The most telling shot was the slog-sweep against Bhuvneshwar in the 12th over, the kind of shot he didn't play often at RCB last season. The chip on the shoulder is real.

Innings 1: Maxwell and Green build the platform

PBKS lost two early wickets (Prabhsimran Singh fell first ball, then Cameron Green came in but Williamson edged behind). The recovery came from a 73-run third-wicket stand between Maxwell and Green. Green's 41 off 32 was the calmer half of the partnership.

The death overs were Shreyas Iyer territory. He came back in late (PBKS use him as a flexible middle-order pivot) and made 28 off 17, including two fours off Bhuvneshwar in the 19th. The 19th over for 14 turned a par 168 into a winning 182.

Innings 2: Chahal's 4-fer

Chahal came on in the 7th over and immediately accounted for Phil Salt with a googly that drifted and turned. From there RCB's response to spin was muddled. Kohli's 44 was a careful, ones-and-twos knock, but the rest of the order was 39 off 41 in the spin overs (8-15).

Chahal's 4/24 includes the wickets of Salt, Patidar, Mahipal Lomror and Tim David, taken across his 4 overs. The Kohli wicket was Arshdeep's in the 16th, and that triggered the collapse.

For more on Chahal's purple cap chase, see Chahal at PBKS form curve.

Top 3 turning points

1. Chahal removing Phil Salt in the 7th: Set the spin choke in motion. Win-prob delta: +12% PBKS.
2. Shreyas Iyer's 19th over for 14 with the bat (innings 1): Got PBKS to 182. Win-prob delta: +9% PBKS.
3. Arshdeep removing Kohli in the 16th (innings 2): Killed the chase. Win-prob delta: +21% PBKS.

Captain grades

Shreyas Iyer (PBKS) — A: Used the impact-sub well, Chahal at overs 7-14 was perfect, and the field placements for spin were aggressive. His own 28 off 17 in the death overs was a captain's knock.

Rajat Patidar (RCB) — B-: Lost his middle-overs read, didn't use Adam Zampa enough in the middle overs of the chase (only 1.4 overs after the 9th), and his own dismissal in the 14th was the moment the chase tilted.

Chahal wicket count

Chahal now leads the Purple Cap chart with 18 wickets. Four wickets in this match was his second 4-fer of the season. The competition is Bumrah (16) and Hasaranga (15). The cap-race predictor projects Chahal to finish on 26-28 wickets at the current rate.

Iyer captaincy: a fresh chapter at PBKS

A note on personnel: Shreyas Iyer captains PBKS in 2026 after a ₹26.75 Cr auction buy. Sam Curran is a PBKS player but not the captain. Ajinkya Rahane leads KKR. The PBKS captaincy under Iyer has been a steady, structured rebuild.

Dream11 retro grade

Player	Role	Points	Verdict
Chahal	Captain	138	Elite
Maxwell	VC	92	Strong
Cameron Green	All-rounder	78	Solid
Kohli	Captain hedge	68	Solid
Adam Zampa	Bowler	58	Decent

Captain Chahal in this matchup was the consensus pick going in, and the 4-fer paid out. Full Dream11 hub at /dream11.

Playoff and NRR implications

PBKS jump to fourth place on 14 points; their NRR climbs from -0.02 to +0.07, the first time positive this season. RCB stay third on 15 but their NRR drops from +0.27 to +0.21. The top-four picture is now PBKS/GT/LSG fighting for the last 2 slots. See the NRR table breakdown.

What this means going forward

PBKS have rediscovered their bowling unit at the right time. Chahal-Arshdeep-Rabada is a top-three death attack. RCB's problem keeps being that when Kohli gets out the rest fall away. They have 4 games left and need 3 to confirm playoff.

FAQ

Q: Who won PBKS vs RCB Match 61? A: Punjab Kings won by 23 runs at Mullanpur, defending 182 against RCB's 159 all out.

Q: Who was Player of the Match? A: Yuzvendra Chahal for his 4/24, including the wickets of Salt, Patidar and Tim David.

Q: How did Maxwell perform against RCB? A: Maxwell scored 49 off 30 with three sixes, including two off Adam Zampa.

Q: What is Chahal's 2026 wicket count? A: Chahal now leads the Purple Cap chart with 18 wickets.

Q: Where can I see the full live archive? A: The full ball-by-ball is on our live page.