Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], May 17 : Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) stand-in skipper Jitesh Sharma lauded bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, saying the RCB is "privileged to have them" after the duo helped the defending champions beat Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 23 runs in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match on Sunday at Dharamsala.
RCB became the first side to secure a playoff berth in the IPL after defeating PBKS. Following RCB's strong total of 222/4, the bowlers stepped up with key performances. Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave RCB the perfect start by dismissing PBKS openers Priyansh Arya (0) and Prabhsimran Singh (2) cheaply, while Josh Hazlewood delivered a crucial breakthrough later in the innings by ending the dangerous 67-run stand between Marcus Stoinis (37) and Shashank Singh (56) with the wicket of the Australian all-rounder.
Speaking at the post-match presentations, RCB's stand-in skipper Jitesh Sharma praised Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood, saying their experience is a major asset for the team. He also highlighted the team's simple approach of taking one match at a time and focusing on consistent performances.
"We are privileged to have them (Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood) at RCB and I have experienced guys who help me as a captain. Our motto is simple: one game at a time. We just want to do well in every match," Jitesh said.
Jitesh said the team stayed in control throughout both batting and bowling and never felt under pressure while defending or chasing. He added that the batters communicated well about the pitch conditions, and the team prepared specific plans for each opposition batter, which they executed effectively.
"I think we were in control, with the batting and bowling. (On the total) We were not under pressure. We were in control. We knew what to do, and batters gave good feedback on what's working on the wicket. We planned for each batsman and executed those plans," Jitesh said.
Batting first, RCB posted a massive 222/4 thanks to brilliant knocks from Virat Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer. Kohli scored 58 to register his record-extending ninth 500-plus runs IPL season, while Venkatesh remained unbeaten on 73 off 40 balls. Devdutt Padikkal (45) and Tim David (28) also made valuable contributions.
In reply, PBKS suffered an early collapse as Bhuvneshwar (2/38 in 4 overs) removed Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh cheaply, while skipper Shreyas Iyer also fell early. Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh and Suryansh Shedge fought back with aggressive batting, but RCB bowlers held their nerve in the death overs. Josh Hazlewood's (1/36 in 4 overs) economical penultimate over proved decisive before Rasikh Salam Dar sealed the win in the final over with two wickets (Shashank Singh and Azmatullah Omarzai), giving away just nine runs.
With the victory, RCB moved to 18 points and secured a playoff spot, while PBKS now face a must-win situation against Lucknow Super Giants to keep their qualification hopes alive.