Right, a terrific win for the Royal Challengers Bangalore and that's something that they needed too! They've capitalised on the key moments in this contest and they'll be pleased with what they've done at Mohali today. As for the Punjab Kings, they will need to tinker with a few matters before they take the field for their next game, an important one against MI. But that's for another day. That's all we have for you from this contest! The second game of the day has been delayed due to rain but nonetheless, switch tabs and catch all the updates from Delhi! Stay tuned to Sportskeeda for the latest news and live coverage of matches from all across the globe. Until next time then, this is the duo of Maanas Upadhyay and Pratyush Rohra, bidding you adieu! 

Mohammed Siraj (Player of the Match): My length was a little short and I bowled fuller because there was some swing. I thought that picking wickets early puts pressure on the opposition side. The lockdown was most important for me because before that, I used to always get hit for runs. In the lockdown, I focused a lot on my fitness and skills. Even now when I played ODI, my rhythm was really well and I carried that confidence here! I am a good fielder but I misfield sometimes (laughs). I always look to improve because I don't want myself to get replaced due to any deficiency in my skills. 

Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bangalore captain): This doesn't make us invincible and the position on the table didn't make us a bad team. The tables can't define your mood, if you've played just 5/6 games. After 12/13 games you can look at the table and see where you are. I think we assessed the conditions really well. The conditions changed drastically. Faf batted outstandingly well on that pitch. We thought that new guys would find it difficult to bat so me and Faf decided to play it long. There was not enough water there. The ball wasn't skidding on. The slower balls were difficult to get away. When the ball was getting scuffed up, we decided to change our strategy. After over 8, we decided that 175 was a good enough total. I told them that with the conditions there, we can just hold the ball in hand and get the win here. When you have 7 wickets down, you need to get them all out. It lets you win by 20/25 runs instead of 4/5 runs which boosts your net run-rate as well. At the halfway stage, set the intensity and take the game to the opposition. We have been an excellent side in the powerplay. We were good in the field as well, with Siraj and Hasaranga getting those direct hits. We need to be present out there and take every opportunity. 

Wanindu Hasaranga: I tried to bowl stump-to-stump. That's my strength and I try to stick to that. When we were batting first, I saw the wicket was gripping. So I tried to stick to my wicket-taking options (the googly). That was unbelievable (runout). I wasn't thinking about it then, I didn't think it was out but it worked out. (How it feels being back) RCB family is a good franchise, so I'm enjoying it. 

Sam Curran (Punjab Kings captain): I thought we bowled really well as a group. The way Faf and Virat played was really good but I feel they didn't get us away from us too much. We didn't bat well enough. They bowled pretty well as well but we lost wickets in ways we wouldn't with two runouts. The conditions were strange. We expected some rain at the back end, there was a bit of lightning. It was a good wicket, with balanced boundaries. We did a lot of things right but a couple of things with the bat, we'll look back on and regret. We go again on Saturday. We're back to Mumbai. It's not about panic and staying together. It should be a really good wicket there for our batters.

Royal Challengers Bangalore 174/4 (20) beat Punjab Kings 150/10 (18.2) by 24 runs 

Faf du Plessis 84(56) | Harpreet Brar 2-31(3) 
Prabhsimran Singh 46(30) | Mohammed Siraj 4-21(4) 

RCB have held their nerve! Virat Kohli leads RCB to a win on his captaincy return! It was a contest where they always had their noses ahead, but were never in a position where they thought that they could win easily. The Bangalore bowlers started it off terrifically in the powerplay and set the tone for the rest of the innings to follow. They snared four wickets within the first six overs and kept the Punjab Kings on the back-foot. 

Taide departed to an lbw decision that was overturned and the same happened to Livingstone too, who couldn't impress on his return to the side. Prabhsimran played a valiant knock but he kept running out of partners. Finally, in an attempt to accelerate, he got his off stump sent cartwheeling by Parnell. Just when RCB were starting to feel good about this game, on came Jitesh Sharma. 

The young wicket-keeper batter took the bowlers to the cleaners and kept PBKS in the hunt. However, he couldn't find a suitable partner who could hold up the other end. Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar and Nathan Ellis departed without contributing too much and finally, with the pressure building, it was Jitesh who perished as well. Not the greatest of batting performances by the Punjab Kings and the couple of run outs in their innings certainly did not help matters. 

Siraj was simply exceptional with his bowling and the cloud cover and overcast conditions game him plenty of assistance on what was perceived to be a slow pitch for the spinners. Hasaranga picked up a couple of wickets too and his contributions should certainly not be overlooked. All-in-all, quite a comprehensive performance by RCB and they switch positions with the Punjab Kings on the points table, moving up to the fifth position now! Punjab will have to go back to the drawing board and will be hoping that their skipper recovers quickly, they certainly seem to be missing his services!

18.2 Harshal Patel to Jitesh Sharma, TAKEN! This time Shabaz holds on! It's Harshal Patel to finish things off with the slower one wide outside the off-stump. Jitesh threw the kitchen sink at it and lost his shape, ballooning one off the toe-end to find Shahbaz at backward point. He makes sure he makes no mistake. RCB hold their nerve and win by 24 runs!

The long on and the mid off fielders have been kept pretty straight.

18.1 Harshal Patel to Jitesh Sharma, so full toss on the off-stump and Jitesh bunts it straight back down the ground, hitting the stumps at the non-striker's end. That cost him two runs, at the very least

18.1 Harshal Patel to Jitesh Sharma, wide. Slower one at the back of a length but it's on the wrong side of the tramline. Jitesh will get another go

Siraj is on fire here and he's single-handedly pulled the game back in favour of RCB! He finishes with a 4-fer and boy, he's just been sensational tonight! He produces his best figures in the IPL! Punjab Kings are down to their last wicket now and Jitesh is the only obstacle that stands between RCB and victory! 

17.6 Mohammed Siraj to Nathan Ellis, BOWLED! FOUR FOR SIRAJ! He's pumped alright, and why shouldn't he be? It was on the good length at the leg-stump line to follow Ellis as he backed away and got nothing on it in the end. The leg pole is flattened. PBKS spirits dampened. This is RCB's game to lose now.

17.5 Mohammed Siraj to Jitesh Sharma, searching for the block hole once more. Jitesh shovels it out to deep mid-wicket to pick up a single

17.4 Mohammed Siraj to Nathan Ellis, it's all happening! On the good length around the off-stump and Ellis taps it towards cover. Slight mix up between him and his partner before he is sent back, putting in the dive to survive the direct hit. Unfortunately for RCB, it ends up resulting in overthrows

Nathan Ellis, RHB, walks out to the middle
Oh he's pumped up all right! He picks up his third wicket of the evening and he finds his target! Jitesh is slowly running out of partners now! He should be looking to play most of the deliveries from here on!

17.3 Mohammed Siraj to Harpreet Brar, TIMBER! Sends the zing bails flying! Pitched up on the stump-to-stump line, crashing into the wickets before Brar knew it. He cleared his front leg for the big heave but didn't get anywhere near in the end. This is a lovely over from Siraj so far!
Harpreet Brar b Mohammed Siraj 13 (13b, 1x4, 0x6)

17.2 Mohammed Siraj to Jitesh Sharma, byes. Good length slower ball outside the off-stump, Jitesh swings and misses. A misfield from DK allows a bye to be sneaked