Right then, we are done with the first game of a double header Sunday and it is RCB who are back to winning ways. Next up, it is round 2 of the 'IPL El Classico' as Mumbai Indians welcome Chennai Super Kings to the Wankhede Stadium. MI have opted to bowl first in that crucial game and you can simply switch tabs and catch our coverage. Cheers!

Virat Kohli is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH! He says that this win was crucial, as every point counts in the standings. He credits Devdutt Padikkal for making the difference in the innings and utilizing his experience. Kohli mentions that he adapted his role based on Salt's start, showcasing his ability to hold one end and accelerate when needed. He emphasizes the importance of understanding conditions and being adaptable, highlighting the team's growth and learnings from previous games. Kohli then downplays his award a bit, focusing on the team's performance.

The victorious captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rajat Patidar, comes up for a chat now. He first credits the bowlers and then appreciates the way Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal batted while chasing. Says the bowlers executed their plans well and the message was pretty simple to bowl tight lines. Reflects that the wicket was on the slower side. Adds that the way they fielded was brilliant as well. Further tells that whatever errors they have made in home games, they will rectify those.

The Presentation ceremony...

Devdutt Padikkal of RCB is down for a quick chat. He believes that building a partnership with Virat Kohli after Salt's dismissal was crucial. He credited months of hard work for his recent success and said batting alongside Kohli boosts his confidence, knowing Kohli will see the team through to the end. Padikkal also expressed the significance of playing for his home city and at Chinnaswamy Stadium, eager to continue performing well for RCB.

The captain of Punjab Kings, Shreyas Iyer, is up for a chat. On being asked about his health, he says that he is doing well, just had a minor niggle and expects that it should be fine after this game. Points that the majority of their batters love to go big from the first ball. Admits that they are not able to capitalise on the starts. Also highlights that the wicket is getting slower and slower. Credits Virat Kohli for batting nicely. Mentions that they keep talking about adapting to the conditions of the wicket. Also thinks that a few of their middle-order batters need to step up at crunch times and need to take the bull by the horns. Tells that he is a great mind space. About his batting, he reflects by saying he just needs to cross ten runs and be free-flowing. Adds that they have a bit of an extended break, so it is important to go back to the drawing board and assess the body as well.

Earlier in the game, Rajat Patidar opted to bowl first, which Shreyas Iyer would have done as well. PBKS got off to a flying start and it was one of their best showings with the bat at this venue. However, once the Powerplay ended and the slower bowlers came to the fore, Punjab lost plenty of wickets and even after having a couple of set batters at the death, they simply couldn't accelerate. The RCB bowlers were the star of the show and once Krunal Pandya sent back both the openers, they were able to squeeze and then Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood nailed yorkers for fun at the death as well.

Punjab Kings had a stellar start to the season, but we are now seeing the limitations of this team to an extent. They didn't have a good score on the board but did get a wicket in the very first over. After that, though, the Powerplay and a majority of the middle phase went in favour of the opposition as they failed to pick up wickets. They did get a couple of more in the latter stages of the chase but it was already game over for the Kings in this match.

The bowlers of RCB set things up beautifully in the first innings and even after losing Phil Salt in the very first over, it was a pretty straightforward chase for the visitors. Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal broke the back of the chase with a 103-run stand. Devdutt made an impact with a fiery knock of 61 as chase-master Kohli remained unbeaten on 73, notching up a record-breaking 67th IPL fifty, and saw the team through to victory.

The Royal Challengers have their revenge against the Kings, having lost a couple of nights ago to the same opposition. Punjab Kings suffer their third defeat of the season and RCB pick up their 5th win of the season, all coming away from home.