Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings Timeline
The timeline of Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings reveals one of the most intense contests in their history in the Indian Premier League. Both franchises have had plenty of memorable wins, thrilling games and record-breaking individual performances since 2008. Fast forward to 2025 and the rivalry took an even bigger step in the history between Punjab Kings and RCB as they were both in the IPL final with RCB winning its first for Back 2 Back And the clashes went on through 2026, fresh chapters in this long-running contest.
Quick Info: RCB vs PBKS Timeline
| Detail | Information |
| First meeting | IPL 2008 |
| Teams | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings |
| Former Punjab name | Kings XI Punjab |
| Former RCB name | Royal Challengers Bangalore |
| Matches through May 2026 | 38 |
| RCB wins | 20 |
| PBKS wins | 18 |
| Latest match | 17 May 2026 |
| Latest match winner | Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
| 2025 IPL final winner | Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
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What Is the Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings Rivalry?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings have played each other in every IPL season since the start of the competition in 2008. Bengaluru was earlier known as Royal Challengers Bangalore whereas Punjab played its original name back in 2021: Kings XI Punjab. Both franchises have had international stars and great Indian players as part of their lines up. The matches between them have consistently thrown up high scoring games, shocks and finishes that go right down to the wire and are a regular IPL calendar highlight in their own right.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings Timeline: 2008–2010
This rivalry began back in 2008 with both franchises being part of the first Indian Premier League. Despite Punjab having some heartening performances in the early seasons, Bengaluru struggled to find their rhythm. The teams met again in 2009 and 2010, continuing a competitive relationship that was affected by evolving squads as well as changing playing conditions. The original introductions then laid the groundwork for their future rivalry, with both sides discovering how to navigate each other’s strengths as T20 cricket continued its rise.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings Timeline: 2011–2015
For a brief stint between 2011 and 2015, Bengaluru was known more for its explosive batting pedigree, the likes of Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers were blooding runs in earnest. Punjab nurtured formidable squads and made it to the IPL final in 2014. Perhaps, the most memorable was encountered in May 2015 when RCB crushed Kings XI Punjab by a whopping 138 runs. It was a performance that illustrated the impact you can have when your top-order batsmen score heavily and when your bowlers get to defend a high score.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings Timeline: 2016–2019
There have been squad combinations, captain and team performances and the entire three years from 2016 to 2019 is a period of highs-and-lows with a change of personnel at all these levels. It was at the 2016 IPL final they had reached Bengaluru while Punjab were still building on making it to the playoffs routinely. These contests remained closely-fought, as both sides were able to claim meaningful wins in these seasons. RCB’s batting prowess may have commanded interest but full praise to Punjab for proving it had the bowlers and batsmen in its arsenal that would be able to make life rough even for Bengaluru. The unpredictability of the rivalry was aptly summarised by these years in different editions of IPL.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings Timeline: 2020
The IPL 2020 was played in the United Arab Emirates owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. On 24 September, Punjab gave a superb performance against RCB as they posted 206/3, before bowling out Bengaluru for just 109, sealing victory by 97 runs. KL Rahul was central to Punjab’s batting effort while the bowlers applied pressure through the chase. The second meeting in that same season would win over Punjab as well, showcasing how they have been better than Bengaluru in a difficult tournament played away from home soil.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings Timeline: 2021
Royal Challengers Bengaluru v Punjab Kings 3 October, 2021 RCB won by six runs Bengaluru made 164/7 which needed a steady batting effort from Punjab. Punjab ended with 158/6, narrowly missing out after staying well within the chase until the very last chapter of their innings. This is an example of how crucial execution becomes in the final overs of a T20 game. It was yet another close contest between the franchises of whom each meeting has gone down to the wire, and RCB’s bowlers held their nerve under pressure.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings Timeline: 2022
In 2022, Punjab Kings had a great time against RCB in the h2h battle as they ended up winning both league-stage clashes. On 27 March in their first meeting Punjab successfully chased down Bengaluru’s impressive score of 205/2, winning the contest by five wickets. The sides were set to clash again on 13 May with Punjab scoring 209/9 and then bowling an opponent out again, RCB now falling by a margin of 54 runs. This performance lauded Punjab’s depth in batting as well the side’s capability to chase down a big target. They also demonstrated that Bengaluru needed greater consistency with the ball against an aggressive Punjab lineup.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings Timeline: 2023
20 April 2023, RCB beat PBKS by 24 runs The Punjab batting line-up erred in posting 174/4, a steep target to chase down for Bengaluru. But the bowlers of RCB did their best and took very important wickets to limit Punjab to 150. The win was valuable points for Bengaluru in the league stage and highlighted just how essential a disciplined bowling display can be following a mediocre-to-strong batting performance. It was not a playoff game, but it became another notable entry in the history of their rivalry.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings Timeline: 2024
RCB also beat Punjab Kings twice in the 2024 season. On March 25 they chased down Punjab’s total of 176/6, finishing their innings on a score of 178/6 and winning by four wickets, helped along the way by Virat Kohli. RCB’s second meeting of the 2023 IPL, on 9 May, was more decisive as they chased down a total of 241/7 with a victory margin of no less than 60 runs after bowling out Punjab for just 181 Bengaluru played out several such performances, that reflected the attacking batting prowess of the outfit and infused much-needed energy into their side.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings Timeline: 2025
The 2025 season even saw the home-and-away RCB-PBKS rivalry be transformed into an epic tale as they faced off against each other four times including Qualifier 1 and the final. Punjab secured their maiden victory in their first league meeting, only for Bengaluru to reply straight away with a win over the Blues. RCB then beat Punjab in Qualifier 1 and went on to win the IPL final against Gujarat Titans by six runs on 3 June. Bengaluru — 190/9; Punjab — 184/7 This historic win was not only a landmark victory but also the first IPL title for RCB, which has been trying to win it for many years.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings Timeline: 2026
The last meeting of this timeline was held on 17 May 2026 in Dharamsala. The 20 overs saw Royal Challengers Bengaluru making a total of 222/4 with Virat Kohli smashing a total of 58 from the ball faced 37 and Devdutt Padikkal hitting in a score of total of 45 from the balls delivered to him on ground which was no. In reply, Punjab Kings scored 199/8, leading Bengaluru to a 23-run win. This win reaffirmed RCB’s recent form against Punjab and qualified it for the playoffs of 2026. With the win, Bengaluru also stretched their overall head-to-head advantage in this fixture.
RCB vs PBKS Head-to-Head Record Through 2026
Overall, both sides met for the 39th time in IPL history and before Royal Challengers Bengaluru having already won 20 compared to Punjab Kings’ 18 times until their meeting of 17 May, 2026. That has been a narrow margin, reflecting the closeness of the rivalry over much of its nearly 20-year history. Punjab had their successful times in 2020 and 2022 while Bengaluru scored big wins in the years of 2023, 2024 and 2025. Recent RCB victories against the playoffs and final of 2025 also added to its advantage.
| Head-to-head statistic | Record |
| Total matches | 38 |
| RCB wins | 20 |
| PBKS wins | 18 |
| RCB wins in 2025 IPL final | 1 |
| Latest match winner in 2026 | RCB |
Most Memorable Matches in the RCB vs PBKS Timeline
To most, this rivalry is highlighted by the narrow wins and historic implications from several encounters. RCB’s comprehensive 138-run win in 2015 was one of its most dominant performances while Punjab’s equally convincing 97-run victory in 2020 showcased what the team could do when it was able to control a game from start to finish. Punjab have also two upsets to their name in 2022 itself. But the most significant result of them all will remain RCB’s six-run win in the 2025 final as it won the franchise its maiden IPL title.
Key Players in the RCB vs PBKS Rivalry
The history of this contest is lined with names of some legendary cricketers. Virat Kohli continues to be a key player for Bengaluru, playing significant innings in different IPL seasons. Batsmen like Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers gave an additional dangerous image to RCB. He (KL Rahul) was the hero for Punjab, also in the 2020 season. Bowlers and middle-order hitters, especially in tightly contested matches and knockout matches, have also proven to be a threat while maintaining their ability. This has transformed the rivalry from a battle between two batting line-ups.
Conclusion
A timeline from 2008 to 2026 Punjab had some memorable victories in multiple seasons, while through solid performances, and its title win in 2025 the city of Bengaluru strengthened its record. RCB holds a 20–18 advantage in the head-to-head record, compiled from 38 meetings, as of May 2026. However future meetings between the two franchises as they both continue to compete could see even more barriers broken in this time honoured rivalry.
FAQs
1. When did the RCB vs PBKS rivalry begin?
The rivalry began in the inaugural IPL season in 2008, when Bengaluru played as Royal Challengers Bangalore and Punjab competed as Kings XI Punjab.
2. Who has won more matches between RCB and PBKS?
Through May 2026, Royal Challengers Bengaluru had won 20 matches, while Punjab Kings had recorded 18 victories across 38 IPL meetings.
3. Who won the RCB vs PBKS IPL final in 2025?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the 2025 IPL final by six runs, defeating Punjab Kings to secure the franchise’s first IPL championship.
4. What happened in the latest RCB vs PBKS match in 2026?
On 17 May 2026, RCB scored 222/4 and restricted Punjab Kings to 199/8, winning the match by 23 runs in Dharamsala.
5. What was RCB’s biggest win against Punjab Kings?
One of RCB’s most dominant victories came in 2015, when Bengaluru defeated Kings XI Punjab by 138 runs in an IPL match.
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