Punjab Kings were unable to defend 157 on home turf, falling to a seven-wicket defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Match 37 of the Indian Premier League on Sunday.

Sent in to bat, Punjab Kings posted 157 for 6 in their 20 overs. Prabhsimran Singh gave the side a quick start with 33 off 17, while Shashank Singh anchored the middle overs with an unbeaten 31. Contributions from Josh Inglis (29 off 17) and Marco Jansen (25* off 20) lifted the total, but the hosts lost momentum during the middle phase of the innings.

With the ball, Punjab struck early through Arshdeep Singh, but the visitors took charge through a 103-run second-wicket stand between Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal. Kohli remained unbeaten on 73 (54 balls), guiding Bengaluru to 159 for 3 in 18.5 overs.

Harpreet Brar and Yuzvendra Chahal picked up a wicket each, but Punjab were unable to apply sustained pressure as the match slipped away in the final overs. Punjab Kings will look to bounce back quickly as the tournament enters a crucial phase.