Virat Kohli laid the foundation and Dinesh Karthik provided the finishing touches as Royal Challengers Bengaluru recorded their first win in IPL 2024 at the Chinnaswamy on Monday.

Kohli made 77 off 49 balls while Karthik remained unbeaten on 28 off 10 balls to pull off a four-wicket victory with four balls remaining.

RCB needed 59 off the last five overs but Kohli and Anuj Rawat’s quick dismissals in two consecutive overs put the pressure back on the home team. With 36 needed from the last three, Karthik and Impact sub Mahipal Lomror ensured that the match went their way.

Lomror was unbeaten on 17 off eight balls but it was Karthik who hit a six and a boundary in the last over to seal Punjab Kings’ fate.

Earlier, captain Shikhar Dhawan’s innings was the bedrock on which Punjab Kings built their 176 for six.

Dhawan (45 off 37 balls), Jitesh Sharma (27 off 20 balls) and Prabhsimran Singh (25 off 17 balls) were the main contributors for Punjab after RCB opted to bowl first on a track that had a smattering of green.

For RCB, Mohammed Siraj and Glenn Maxwell took two wickets apiece.

Punjab made a shaky beginning as Jonny Bairstow got out early. The Englishman’s poorly-executed close-to-the-body pull of f pacer Siraj was taken by Kohli at cover.

But from 17 for one, the visitors found some runs through Dhawan and Prabhsimran who tackled the pitch and the RCB bowlers with aplomb, milking 55 runs off 38 balls.

Dhawan was not precisely smooth during his stay but showed enough pluck to cash in on the loose deliveries, such as a length ball on the off-stump from left-arm spinner Mayank Dagar which he lofted over long-on for a six.

Prabhsimran also occasionally vented his aggressive instincts, including a flicked six off Cameron Green.