Bengaluru: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) remained winless at home this season after suffering a comprehensive five-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings (PBKS) in a rain-affected Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter on Friday at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Persistent drizzle reduced the match to 14 overs per side, but it was the RCB batting collapse that dominated headlines and social media chatter. Punjab, having opted to bowl first after winning the toss, dismantled the hosts’ batting line-up with clinical precision.

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RCB’s innings began in disastrous fashion, with Phil Salt and Virat Kohli dismissed cheaply by Arshdeep Singh in the opening overs. Salt was caught brilliantly by Josh Inglis at square leg, while Kohli fell to a sharp catch by Marco Jansen at mid-on, leaving RCB reeling at 21 for 2 by the end of the third over.

Wickets continued to tumble as Xavier Bartlett, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Jansen joined the onslaught. RCB found themselves at a precarious 41 for 6, with the threat of breaking their own record for the lowest IPL total of 49 looming large. It was only a spirited unbeaten 50 off 26 balls by Tim David that lifted them to a modest 95 for 9.

The second innings saw a brief stutter from PBKS, but Nehal Wadhera’s explosive knock of 40 – which included three sixes and three fours – ensured they chased down the target comfortably in 12.1 overs.

The defeat marked RCB’s third straight home loss, a concerning trend given their otherwise decent record on the road this season. Meanwhile, PBKS climbed to second on the points table with five wins from seven matches, bolstered by a superior net run rate.

Speaking after the match, RCB captain Rajat Patidar admitted the side's batting display had fallen short. “Initially, the pitch was sticking and a bit two-paced, but we could have done far better as a batting unit,” he said. Patidar also defended the exclusion of Devdutt Padikkal, noting that the conditions favoured bowlers.

Despite the loss, he praised the bowling unit and the batters’ intent, while stressing the need to learn from their errors and bounce back stronger.

Social media, however, was far less forgiving. As RCB flirted with the infamous 49-run mark once again, fans flooded platforms with memes and jibes, turning the game into a viral spectacle online.

With pressure mounting, RCB will look to regroup quickly as they search for their elusive first win at home this season. (With inputs from Agencies)