Royal Challengers Bengaluru hold a 20-18 lead over Punjab Kings across 38 IPL meetings, but that slim margin hides how one-sided the rivalry has become lately. This is the complete head-to-head: the all-time record and win splits, the biggest wins on each side, the players who decide it, and an honest read on who holds the edge today. Punjab Kings and RCB have traded blows since the first IPL in 2008.
Quick Answer - PBKS vs RCB Head to Head
In the IPL, RCB lead Punjab Kings 20-18 from 38 matches, with zero ties and zero no-results. The sides were level at 18-18 going into the 2025 final, before RCB won that title decider and their next meeting to move two clear. The full record, the biggest wins and who holds the edge are below, alongside the full RCB franchise record.
हिन्दी: 38 आईपीएल मुक़ाबलों में आरसीबी पंजाब किंग्स पर 20-18 से आगे है, और यह बढ़त उन्होंने पिछले सात में से छह मैच जीतकर बनाई है।
Head-to-head records verified via ESPNcricinfo and the official IPL site, updated 17 July 2026.
PBKS vs RCB: The All-Time IPL Record
The overall record is close, but the splits show who has controlled this fixture and when.
| Metric | PBKS | RCB |
|---|---|---|
| Matches won | 18 | 20 |
| Win percentage | 47.4% | 52.6% |
| Highest total vs opponent | 232/2 (2011) | 241/7 (2024) |
| Lowest total vs opponent | 88 (2015) | 109 (2020) |
| Wins in playoffs/finals | 0 | 2 |
| IPL titles (overall) | 0 | 2 |
The Rivalry in Numbers
For most of its history this was the most even rivalry in the IPL. Punjab won the first three meetings and led through the early years, then strung together five straight wins between 2012 and 2014, their best run in the fixture. RCB hit back with four in a row across 2018 and 2019. As late as the 2025 playoffs the two sides were locked at 18-18, level after 36 matches with not a single tie or washout between them.
Recent meetings: RCB have won six of the last seven. They took both 2024 games, three of four in 2025 including the trophy decider, and their one 2026 meeting by 23 runs. For the deeper split, our breakdown of Kohli's record against Punjab shows who has driven that run.
PBKS vs RCB: How the Two Teams Compare
Punjab Kings
- IPL titles: 0
- H2H wins: 18
- Biggest win in fixture: 111 runs (2011)
- Key man: KL Rahul
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
- IPL titles: 2
- H2H wins: 20
- Biggest win in fixture: 138 runs (2015)
- Key man: Virat Kohli
Biggest Wins and Record Margins
RCB's heaviest win came in Bengaluru in 2015. Chris Gayle smashed 117 off 57 balls, RCB posted 226/3, and Punjab were bowled out for 88, still their lowest total in the fixture. RCB won by 138 runs, the biggest margin either side has managed. Their most clinical win was a 10-wicket stroll in Indore in 2018, chasing 89 without losing a wicket.
Punjab's showpiece was the 2011 game at Dharamsala. Adam Gilchrist hit 106 and Shaun Marsh an unbeaten 79, adding 206 for the second wicket as Punjab reached 232/2 before bowling RCB out for 121, a 111-run win. The highest individual score in the whole fixture, though, is KL Rahul's 132 not out in 2020, one of the biggest individual scores in IPL history.
Key Players in This Fixture
No batter in IPL history has scored more runs against a single opponent than Virat Kohli has against Punjab, 1,217 in all by the end of IPL 2026. Chris Gayle (873) and AB de Villiers (718) come next, both from RCB's strongest years. For Punjab, KL Rahul's unbeaten 132 in Dubai in 2020 is still the highest score anyone has made in this fixture.
With the ball, the best figures are RCB's, Sreenath Aravind taking 4/14 in 2011, while Piyush Chawla's 4/17 that same season is the best by a Punjab bowler. Yuzvendra Chahal is one of the few bowlers to have taken wickets in this contest for both sides.
What Decides PBKS vs RCB
Two things have swung this fixture RCB's way, and both are recent. The first is venue: the highest-scoring games here happen at Dharamsala, where RCB posted 241/7 in 2024 and 222/4 in 2026, and their batting depth punishes a flat surface harder than Punjab's. The second is the new ball. Punjab's top order has folded cheaply in the games that mattered most, bowled out for 101 in the 2025 Qualifier and 88 back in 2015, and RCB's seamers have learned to exploit that fragility early. Punjab's counter is their own batting firepower and a captain in Shreyas Iyer who took them to the 2025 final. But until they stop losing early wickets in the big games, the edge sits with Bengaluru. On current form, RCB win this more often than not.
People still call this the most balanced rivalry in the IPL, and for 17 years they were right, 18-18 after 36 matches, no ties, no washouts. That framing is now out of date. RCB have won six of the last seven meetings, and the two that count most were the 2025 Qualifier, where Punjab were skittled for 101, and the final, which RCB took by six runs to end an 18-year wait. Backing it up with the 2026 title tells you this is not a blip. What tilts it is not a single star but a squad that scores heavier and defends its total better, the same profile that carries RCB's edge in their older rivalry with Chennai. My one hedge: Punjab reached the 2025 final for a reason, and a fully firing top order flips this fast. But on everything I have watched over the last three seasons, I would back RCB here more often than not.
Frequently Asked Questions - PBKS vs RCB
Who leads the PBKS vs RCB head-to-head in the IPL?
RCB lead 20-18 across 38 IPL matches, with no ties or no-results. The two sides were level at 18-18 going into the 2025 final, before RCB won that title decider and their next meeting to move two matches clear for the first time.
What happened when PBKS and RCB met in the 2025 IPL final?
RCB won by six runs at Ahmedabad on 3 June 2025 to lift their first IPL title. Batting first they made 190/9, and Punjab were held to 184/7, with Krunal Pandya taking 2/17 and winning Player of the Match.
Who has scored the most runs in PBKS vs RCB matches?
Virat Kohli, who has more runs against Punjab than any batter has managed against a single IPL opponent. The highest individual score in the fixture is KL Rahul's unbeaten 132 off 69 balls for Punjab in Dubai in 2020, which set up a 97-run win.
What are the highest and lowest team totals in this fixture?
RCB's 241/7 at Dharamsala in 2024, built on Kohli's 92, is the highest. Punjab's best is 232/2 from 2011. Punjab's lowest is 88 all out in 2015, when RCB's 138-run win remains the biggest margin in the rivalry.
Have PBKS and RCB met in an IPL playoff or final?
Yes, twice, both in 2025. RCB won Qualifier 1, bowling Punjab out for 101, and then beat them by six runs in the final. Those remain the only knockout meetings between the two sides.
The Bottom Line
For 36 matches across 17 seasons, neither Punjab nor Bengaluru could put real daylight between them in this rivalry. Then RCB did it in the space of two months, on the biggest stage in Indian cricket, and followed the 2025 final with a second title in 2026. The head-to-head edge is still only two matches, 20-18, but it was built by winning the games that decided a season. Punjab have the batting and the leadership to reset it, and the fixture has been close enough for long enough that nobody should write them off. For now, though, this rivalry belongs to RCB.
