RCB Crush Punjab Kings to Reach IPL Final!

In a dazzling bowling display, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) smashed Punjab Kings (PBKS) for a paltry 101 runs and stormed into their first IPL final since 2016 with a crushing 8-wicket win and a whopping 10 overs to spare!

RCB's Bowling Blitz:

RCB's pacers *dominated** the challenging New Chandigarh pitch, exploiting the new ball's bounce and seam.

* Josh Hazlewood (3/21) was lethal upon his return, removing dangerous batters Shreyas Iyer and Josh Inglis with extra bounce.

Young leggie *Suyash Sharma (3/17)** capitalized on PBKS's reckless aggression, bamboozling batters with his invisible wrong'uns – three wickets fell to his sweep traps.

RCB's strategy of *hard lengths and aggressive lines** worked perfectly, with the pacers taking 7 wickets as PBKS insisted on high-risk shots.

PBKS's Collapse:

Even as the pitch revealed its dangers, PBKS *failed to adapt their approach**. Unchecked aggression turned into recklessness.

Key batters like Shashank Singh and Marcus Stoinis (top scorer with 26 runs) *misread Suyash's wrong'uns**, succumbing to failed slog-sweep attempts.

The ball *kept seaming significantly later on**, shown by Romario Shepherd's nasty delivery that hit Harpreet Brar before crashing into the stumps.

Salt Extinguishes All Doubt!

A tricky chase of 102? *Phil Salt said NO!**

The Englishman *demolished the PBKS attack**, smashing the fastest fifty of the season (off just 23 balls!).

After a solid start from Virat Kohli (12 off 12), Salt *landed the killer blow in Kyle Jamieson's 6th over**, plundering 21 runs in a barrage of ferocious cuts, emphatic pulls, and drilled drives.

With the path clear, *Rajat Patidar sealed the deal in style**, launching a massive slog-sweep for six!

The Scorecard:

* PBKS 101 all out (Stoinis 26; Suyash 3-17, Hazlewood 3-21, Dayal 2-26)

* RCB 106/2 (Salt 56* blitz, Mayank 19; Jamieson 1-27)

* Result: RCB won by 8 wickets (with 60 balls remaining!)

* The Prize: RCB are through to the IPL FINAL after 9 years!

RCB didn't just win, they dominated! A show of force with the ball and a lightning chase led by Salt left Punjab Kings reeling. Bengaluru now sets its sights on the coveted title!