The league witnessed two matches on May 17th. Both contests depicted the new trend in IPL 2026. That is a blend of early aggression combined with late overs’ crispness. RCB drew level with PBKS with a 23-run victory in Dharamshala, and DC chased RR while taking five wickets in Delhi. Both the outcomes were a combination of strike rates and tactical choices. Yesterday’s IPL Match Scoreboard Comparison Table Match Top Scorer  Best Figures Margin RCB vs PBKS Venkatesh Iyer – 73* off 40 Rasikh Salam – 3 for 36 RCB won by 23 runs DC vs RR KL Rahul – 56 off 42 Mitchell Starc – 4 for 40 DC won by 5 wickets   Match 1: RCB vs PBKS Highlights: Dharamshala Run Fest Powerplay Impact RCB bowled with purpose and charged up to 61 for 1 in the first six overs. Padikkal and Kohli had the early pace, which kept the run rate over ten. However, PBKS found it difficult to succeed with the new ball situation in the first innings. Moreover, it had a negative impact throughout the rest of the match. RCB reached 50 in 5.1 overs Padikkal chalked up 31 runs in the initial seven overs. Kohli scored 50 in 31 balls. The 18-year-old Stoinis (PBKS) played as an impact player. After the first half, RCB went ahead and scored two times for 82. Middle Overs Control V Iyer got the middle overs. The change of pace at No. 4 was his contribution. He was a combination of both placement and power and maintained the momentum. Iyer hit fifty in 29 balls. RCB reached 150 in 14.2 overs Iyer and Kohli hit 50 in 31 balls. During this phase, PBKS burned two reviews. Nine wickets were in RCB’s hands at 15 overs. Death Overs Finish RCB had 65 runs off the final four deliveries. Iyer and Tim David played the match as they attacked every bowler and compelled PBKS to move fielders continuously. The innings ended at 222 for 4. RCB reached 200 in 17.5 overs In the final over, David hit 17 runs The last phase saw PBKS concede 6 extras Iyer played unbeaten on 73 RCB scored 12 runs in 16-20 runs off PBKS Chase Breakdown That was enough to move the necessary rate up more than a month early. Shashank made a 22 ball fifty, however, the chasing team was not able to recover itself. In 6.1 overs, PBKS bowled itself to 50 Stoinis added 37 off 25 Shashank scored 56 (not out) off 27 PBKS reached 150 in 15.2 overs There were four overs to be played in the final two overs. Rasikh Salam took two wickets in the last over to put up the 23 run victory. Match 2 DC vs RR: A Delhi Night of Twists Royal’s Explosive Start RR was on fire in the powerplay, on the verge of a big score. Sooryavanshi had a shot at every bowler and got DC’s plans changed early. The fans were looking for a score of 220 or higher. RR reached 50 in 4.5 overs Sooryavanshi scored 46 off 21 Parag had a strike rate of more than 180 when he entered. It is hard to imagine that Jurel could be better, but with a bit of consistent rotation. RR reached 100 in 9.2 overs Starc’s Turning Spell Starc came in in the middle over and changed the match. His pace and angle got the set batters wrong. RR was not able to catch up and never rebounded. Starc picked up 3 wickets in 1 over Parag hit 51 then fell Jurel hit 50 in 36 balls By the second timeout, RR was down to 161 The last six overs only gathered 33 runs DC’s Chase Flow DC had to get rolling on the first attempt, and they performed. Porel and Rahul successfully putting together a gigantic 100-plus opening partnership vs RR. They neutralised the RR attack with their clean hitting. DC reached 50 in 3.6 overs Porel scored 51 off 31 Rahul came up with the fifty in 34 balls DC reached 150 in 15.5 overs Finish Under Pressure The chase remained on course, despite the loss of a couple of wickets by the middle of the over. Ashutosh Sharma walked into the match and completed the match with two perfect hits. DC reached 175 in 19 overs Ashutosh scored 18 off 5 DC finished at 197 for 5 Four balls remained RR conceded 13 extras Points Table: IPL 2026 Playoffs Qualification Standings Pos Team PL W L PTS NRR 1 RCB 13 9 4 18 1.065 2 PBKS 13 6 6 13 0.227 3 RR 12 6 6 12 0.027 4 DC 12 6 7 12 -0.871 The Final Over Two matches catered for distinct sagas. But one thing is clear. Clarity of late overs and powerplay aggression are influencing the IPL 2026. This shift brings enormous delight to the fans. Furthermore, it gives a positive boost to the courageous league players. The playoffs are only a few weeks away, and each fixture is stirring up fans’ emotions. Stay tuned to Kheloexch website for more such exciting daily cricket news. What fans are looking for What caused RCB to dominate the match in Dharamshala? Both the power play and death overs were in the hands of RCB, making a significant contribution to the match. Early wickets fell in the scoring of PBKS, and they failed to come back to the same level of asking they had initially hit. What accounts for the change in the DC vs RR results matchup? Starc did a fine job getting the batters out and holding RR’s scoring pace at the right time. His spell compelled RR to go into survival mode and lowered the total to a low. Is RCB qualified for the IPL 2026 playoffs? Yes, Royal Challengers became the very first team to, in fact, secure a spot in the playoffs. Their commanding triumph took them to the top position in