Mumbai: In a high-scoring thriller, Punjab Kings defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 by five wickets with an over to spare.

RCB skipper Faf du Plessis's brilliant knock of 88 runs went in vain. Punjab Kings won the toss and decided to bowl first, but PBKS skipper Mayank Agarwal’s decision to bowl first was misjudged as the RCB batting took off in style.

Both du Plessis and Anuj Rawat completed the first power-play without losing a wicket and added 41 runs.The whirlwind knock of the skipper, with the help of an unbeaten knock of 41 runs by Virat Kohli and veteran wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik’s quick-fire 32 runs off 14 bowls, helped RCB to score 204 runs.

Chasing a massive total of 205, PBKS openers Shikhar Dhawan and skipper Mayank Agarwal responded strongly, adding 28 runs in the opening three overs. Both Dhawan and Mayank got off to fast starts, scoring 15 runs off David Willey's sixth over.

The Punjab Kings openers added 64/0 at the end of the powerplay. RCB’s Wanindu Hasaranga picked up a wicket on the very first delivery of his spell and sent PBKS skipper Mayank Agarwal to the pavilion.

Sri Lankan batsman Bhanuka Rajapaksa joined Shikhar Dhawan, who quickly got into the action with two sixes and a four, and the Punjab Kings reached their 100 runs in the 11th over. Harshal Patel, on the other hand, got RCB back into the game by scalping Dhawan, who finished with a score of 43. (29). Rajapaksa's free-flowing innings was aided by Livingstone.

RCB’s bowling unit, which was disturbed by the continuous onslaught of PBKS bowlers, was relieved by Mohammed Siraj’s back-to-back wickets. He dismissed both Rajapaksa and rookie Raj Bawa. Livingstone was sent to the pavilion by Akash Deep. He scored 19 runs in just 10 bowls.

It was Odean Smith and Shahrukh Khan who steered PBKS to the winning total. Odean was dropped in the 17th over. He scored a quick 25 off just eight deliveries. PBKS chased the gigantic total with an over to spare.