Harpreet Brar has often been a difficult matchup for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and the feeling was mutual again during Punjab Kings’ meeting with RCB this season in Dharamsala. The left-arm spinner not only picked up two wickets, but also took a key catch that shifted momentum at a crucial stage—while an off-the-ball moment involving Virat Kohli turned into a talking point after Brar opened up about what happened.
Brar explains the Kohli moment from PBKS vs RCB
- Brar described how he feels fortunate to have had success against Kohli, calling the wicket he took against the RCB great “a huge memory” for him.
- Speaking in a video conversation with Harleen Deol, he said the incident came during a one-bounce throwing drill that was being practiced in an afternoon game.
- He added that everyone in the field was following the instruction, and that Kohli did not react at first when the throws were being made.
- Brar explained that he delivered what he considered a proper throw, but Marcus Stoinis became unsure of whether the ball should be taken cleanly or only after one bounce.
- According to Brar, it was at that point that Kohli looked directly at him from the non-striker’s end.
- Brar said he initially thought Kohli would let it go once the over finished, but Kohli instead approached him during the next phase of play.
- He recalled Kohli telling him, “It’s been 20 years,” and Brar responded by saying he wasn’t taking the situation the wrong way and that the throw wasn’t intentional.
- Brar further clarified that the team was simply trying to reverse the ball so it would become useful in the death overs.
RCB’s qualification push and the match outcome in Dharamsala
On the field, Punjab Kings ultimately fell short against RCB, marking their sixth consecutive defeat. RCB, chasing a top-two position in the standings, went on to become the first side to secure a spot in the Indian Premier League 2026 playoffs after winning by 23 runs at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium on Sunday.
RCB set a daunting target by posting 222/4, and then defended it with a controlled bowling display. Rasikh Salam Dar was the standout bowler with a haul of three wickets, keeping Punjab Kings to 199/8 even though Shashank Singh struck a hard-fought half-century.
The win propelled RCB to 18 points from 13 matches and ensured their playoff qualification. Punjab Kings, meanwhile, endured a brutal start to the chase: Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed Priyansh Arya for a duck in the opening over.
Bhuvneshwar struck again in his following over, this time forcing Prabhsimran Singh into an edge toward first slip after the batter could manage only two runs. From there, despite the resistance shown later in the innings, Punjab Kings were unable to close the gap as RCB held on to the victory.
