Since it’s an afternoon game, you will have to give a little weightage to Punjab

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) would not be heavy favorites heading into their IPL 2026 clash against the Punjab Kings (PBKS). He pointed out that PBKS can utilize Yuzvendra Chahal, one of their most potent bowlers, as it’s an afternoon game.

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by six wickets in Raipur on Wednesday, May 13, to climb atop the IPL 2026 points table. A win in both their remaining league games will guarantee them a top-two finish and a spot in Qualifier 1.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ the former India batter reflected on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s playoff prospects in IPL 2026. He highlighted that the Punjab Kings could challenge them in an afternoon game in Dharamsala.

“You have won in Raipur and have reached 16 points. You are at No. 1, and the net run rate is so good that you won’t have any problems with that. Which are the next two games? One is against Punjab. That’s an afternoon game in Dharamsala,” Chopra said.

“Had it been an evening game, I would have said the scales are massively tilted towards RCB. Since it’s an afternoon game, you will have to give a little weightage to Punjab because Yuzvendra Chahal will not be redundant now. He can be used in an afternoon game,” he added.

While pointing out that Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar might not be as threatening in an afternoon game, Chopra opined that RCB would confirm a top-two finish ahead of their final league game against the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) if they beat PBKS.

“Since it’s an afternoon game, Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar might not bring as much threat as they could have brought in an evening game. If they win that game and reach 18, I think a top-two slot will be confirmed. If they stumble there, they will have a match against Hyderabad in Hyderabad, which again will be a good game,” he observed.

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru will face the Punjab Kings in an afternoon game in Dharamsala on Sunday, May 17. They will finish their league-phase engagements with a clash against the SunRisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad five days later.

“If Punjab are scared of anyone at this moment, that’s RCB” – Aakash Chopra on Rajat Patidar and Co.’s positive ahead of IPL 2026 clash vs PBKS

While highlighting that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL 2026 playoff qualification might not depend on the results of their last two league games, Aakash Chopra opined that the Punjab Kings might be scared of the Rajat Patidar-led side.

“RCB have done so well thus far that a lot is not riding on the last two games. It is riding a little as you qualify as No. 1 or No. 2 if you win, but the qualification might not be dependent on these games. A thing that goes in RCB’s favor is that if Punjab are scared of anyone at this moment, that’s RCB,” he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that PBKS lost their last three games against RCB in IPL 2025 after beating them in Bengaluru.

“They (PBKS) defeated them only once (in IPL 2025). They beat them in Bengaluru, but apart from that, whether you see the Qualifier 1, the final, or the New Chandigarh match, RCB have made Punjab lick dust every single time. This is the reality. So RCB might just fancy their chances of winning one more game and reaching 18 points,” Chopra observed.

The Punjab Kings beat the Royal Challengers Bengaluru by five wickets in Bengaluru in the 34th game of IPL 2025. However, the Bengaluru-based franchise then beat Shreyas Iyer and company by seven wickets in New Chandigarh before defeating them by eight wickets in Qualifier 1 and by six runs in the final to bag its maiden IPL title.

Edited by Kartik Iyer