IPL Qualifier 1: Salt leads Royal Challengers Bengaluru into final as Punjab crash to tame loss

Royal Challenges Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar has won the toss and elected to bat. The Bengaluru outfit has been boosted by the return of Josh Hazlewood, who replaces Nuwan Thushara, while Punjab have brought in Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzar in place of Marco Jansen.

Punjab Kings are reeling under pressure. It was a big game, and though the Kings have found success with aggressive cricket in the past, they were not judicious this time — and have paid a heavy price. The hosts are 31 for three at the end of the fourth over. It’s far from where they would want to be, having lost both openers and skipper Shreyas Iyer. They must be ruing their poor shot selection.

Josh Inglis backs himself on the pull shot — and so does Josh Hazlewood. But this time, the Australian pacer won the battle, trapping his compatriot with a short-pitched delivery that was caught at long leg. It proved to be a good toss to win for Bengaluru, as pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, and Hazlewood exploited the early bounce and grass cover to full effect. It’s a good wicket to bat on, but it demands caution. At the end of the powerplay, it’s advantage RCB with Punjab struggling at 48 for 4.

Marcus Stoinis is leading Punjab’s fightback, meeting fire with fire — and so far, it’s working. But he’s living dangerously. In the midst of his counterattack, the hosts have lost Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh. The inexperience of the middle order is beginning to show. Under pressure, they haven’t been able to dig in and ride out the tough phase. After 8.2 overs, Punjab are 60 for six, and RCB are tightening their grip even further.

Punjab took a gamble by bringing in Musheer Khan — the brother of Sarfaraz Khan — for his first IPL appearance of the season — as the Impact Substitute. But the move backfired. The Mumbai batter attempted a wild sweep and was adjudged leg-before, plunging the hosts into deeper trouble. At the halfway mark, Punjab are 71 for seven, with Stoinis holding on at 26.

Suyash Sharma has kept Punjab’s innings in a tailspin, taking three wickets in just nine balls to all but end their hopes. Marcus Stoinis, their last recognised batter, fell while trying to attack a deceptive googly — and with him, any remaining resistance crumbled. It was a chance for Stoinis to redeem a woeful season, but he failed to capitalise on a promising start. After 11 overs, Punjab are tottering at 78 for eight.

Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai is showing the right approach on a tricky wicket — but he’s come too late to the party. He added 19 runs for the ninth wicket before Romario Shepherd knocked over Harpreet Brar’s stumps. A leg-bye helped Punjab limp past the 100-run mark. After 14 overs, the hosts are 101 for nine, with Omarzai holding on at 18.

Qualifier 1 had all the ingredients for a close contest — if only Punjab’s batters had shown some basic application. But it’s turning into a one-sided affair. Put in to bat, Punjab folded for just 101 in 14.1 overs, with none of the batters — from young opener Priyansh Arya to the experienced Shreyas Iyer — applying themselves. Rash shots across the board handed Royal Challengers Bengaluru a modest target.

RCB, chasing their first title, already have one foot in the final. Backed by a clinical bowling display from Yash Dayal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood and Suyash Sharma, they dominated in all departments — bowling, fielding, catching, and tactical changes.

Now, it’s over to King Kohli, the chase master, to complete the job and take Bengaluru into the final.

Punjab have made the first inroad by dismissing Virat Kohli — a breakthrough that could breathe life into their defence of a low total. Having previously defended 111, the lowest total in IPL history, Punjab will be hoping for a repeat. With Kyle Jamieson breathing fire, the contest has suddenly come alive. After four overs, RCB are 30 for one.

Two very different Jamiesons were on display in the game. In his first over, the Australian bowled a beauty to dismiss Kohli off the second ball and looked set to run through Royal Challengers with stunning deliveries. But under increased pressure in his second over, he was hammered for 23 runs, with England opener Phil Salt scoring 18. Salt is taking full control of the contest and looks set to bat through the innings. After six overs, RCB are 61 for one.

When Kohli departed in the fourth over, the contest seemed evenly poised. But by the time the second RCB wicket fell in the eighth, Phil Salt and Mayank Agarwal had already taken the game away — adding 54 runs in just 27 balls. The only consolation for Punjab was a wicket for young Musheer Khan, who dismissed Agarwal. Salt, known for his ultra-aggressive style, showed impressive adaptability to notch up a brilliant half-century off 23 balls. After nine overs, RCB are 92 for two, needing just 10 more runs off 11 overs.

RCB sailed to an eight-wicket win over Punjab to book a place in the final on June 3. Salt remained unbeaten on 56 while skipper Rajat Patidar gave the finishing touches with a six in the 10 over.