• Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Punjab Kings by eight wickets to reach the IPL final.
• Bengaluru's bowlers restricted Punjab to only 102 runs, leading to an easy chase.
• Phil Salt was the standout performer for Bengaluru, scoring an unbeaten 56 runs.
• This marks Bengaluru's first final appearance since 2016.
• Kohli, though scoring only 12, remains the team's leading scorer for the season.

Virat Kohli is closer than ever to winning his first Indian Premier League (IPL) title after the Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured an emphatic eight-wicket victory over the Punjab Kings in the qualifier match. The win allowed Bengaluru to advance to the finals of the tournament, where they will compete for the title on Sunday. Bengaluru's bowlers put on a superior performance, limiting Punjab to a paltry total of 102 runs, which Bengaluru chased down in just 10 overs, thanks to opener Phil Salt's stellar innings of 56 not out, according to Channel News Asia and Reuters.

The defeat leaves Punjab Kings with the chance to still reach the final if they can win the second qualifier against the victor of the eliminator match between the Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans. Kohli, who only managed to score 12 runs in this crucial match, has been the leading scorer for Bengaluru this season, with a history of being part of the franchise since the league's inception in 2008. This upcoming final will be Bengaluru's first since their defeats in 2009, 2011, and 2016, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.

The overwhelming display by Bengaluru's bowlers was highlighted by Josh Hazlewood's returning performance, where he claimed three wickets for just 21 runs, significantly contributing to bundling out Punjab in only 14.1 overs. His effort, along with that of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who secured the key wicket of Punjab's leading scorer, helped restrict Punjab to a mere 71 for 7 at the halfway mark of their innings. The match concluded within 24.1 overs with Salt guiding the team towards victory, according to Channel News Asia and Al Jazeera.