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As the Indian Premier League 2025 reaches its fever pitch, the first Qualifier promises a narrative-rich showdown between two of the most emotionally invested teams in the competition – Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). With a coveted spot in the final on the line, the clash at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Chandigarh, is more than just a playoff match, it’s a statement opportunity for two sides burdened with unfulfilled legacies.
Biggest Match Day of the season, yet. 🧿
We're ALL IN, let's do this lads! 🫡🔥
Catch all the LIVE action on @jiohotstar from 7:30 PM onwards. 🙌#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #IPL2025 pic.twitter.com/kWsZXh0ado---Advertisement---— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 29, 2025
PBKS and RCB share a bond of unclaimed glory. Both franchises have played in IPL finals before – PBKS (then Kings XI Punjab) were runners-up in 2014, while RCB made it to the summit clash three times (2009, 2011, and 2016) only to return empty-handed. Over the years, their trophy-less status has become part of their identity, etched into the frustrations and hopes of their fans. But IPL 2025 feels different – it feels like a breakthrough moment.
Punjab Kings have reinvented themselves. After years of inconsistency, a hard reset in mindset and personnel has done wonders. The Shreyas Iyer–Ricky Ponting leadership axis has added much-needed flair and direction to the side. Their commanding win over Mumbai Indians in the final league fixture solidified their position in the top two and sent a strong message — this is not the PBKS of old.
RCB, on the other hand, have quietly shed their reputation for imbalance and underachievement. Under the radar, they’ve built a squad that finally seems cohesive, adaptable, and hungry. Their tense, high-stakes chase in Lucknow to secure a top-two finish displayed a maturity rarely seen in past campaigns. Even with injuries and absences, like that of Devdutt Padikkal, who starred the last time these teams met at this very venue, RCB looks sharp and focused.
The head-to-head record is as tight as it gets PBKS lead 18-17 across IPL history. In IPL 2025, both sides have beaten each other once, with RCB’s win in Chandigarh part of a remarkable seven-match unbeaten run on the road this season. However, the absence of Padikkal, who played a key role in that game, could be a factor in the upcoming clash.
Set against the backdrop of a hot Chandigarh evening, the Mullanpur surface has typically offered decent batting conditions. The average first innings score here this season stands at 173, and three of the four matches have been won by teams batting first. This could tempt the toss-winning captain to put up a total and let scoreboard pressure do the talking.
For PBKS, this match is a shot at validation after years of anonymity. For RCB, it’s a chance to rewrite their recurring tale of missed opportunities. Both teams are entering the Qualifier with momentum and belief, but as history has shown momentum means little in the knockouts. It all comes down to execution under pressure, and who can keep their nerves when the margins are razor-thin.
Also Read: Shreyas Iyer In TROULBE? Will Poor Form Against RCB Yet Again Haunt The PBKS Skipper
Rajat Patidar finishes off in style! Full and drifting in, the captain gets down on one leg and nails the slogsweep to dispatch it over deep square leg. RCB cruise to the final of 2025 IPL.
Musheer Khan to Rajat Patidar, SIX
Musheer Khan to Rajat Patidar, FOUR
Harpreet Brar to Phil Salt, FOUR, arm ball but the line is well outside off
Musheer Khan to Mayank Agarawal, out Caught by Shreyas Iyer!! Mayank Agarawal c Shreyas Iyer b Musheer Khan 19(13) [4s-2 6s-1]
Musheer Khan to Mayank Agarawal, SIX, 80.8kph, looped up delivery, hint of spin, Agarawal leans forward
Harpreet Brar to Phil Salt, SIX, muscled! Trifle short, not a half-tracker, Phil Salt clears his front leg
Jamieson to Phil Salt, SIX, 4, 4, 6! Jamieson, searching for the swing, overpitches outside off.
Jamieson to Phil Salt, FOUR, Jamieson pulls his length back, Salt spots it early and muscles the pull over midwicket
Jamieson to Phil Salt, FOUR
Jamieson to Mayank Agarawal, FOUR, 131.5kph, Mayank Agarawal backs away and Jamieson follows him.
Azmatullah to Phil Salt, FOUR, pierces the gap! Good length around off, Salt waits for it, opens the bat-face
Azmatullah to Phil Salt, FOUR, good reply from Phil Salt! Omarzai serves width outside off, the length is on the shorter side as well. It's a gift for Salt who slashes hard
Jamieson to Kohli, out Caught by Josh Inglis!! Kohli c Josh Inglis b Jamieson 12(12) [4s-2]
Arshdeep Singh to Phil Salt, SIX, shot!
Arshdeep Singh to Phil Salt, FOUR, top-edge and four!
Jamieson to Kohli, FOUR, straying onto the pads, Kohli glances it fine and the ball dribbles away to fine leg for four. Easy pickings
Arshdeep Singh to Kohli, leg byes, FOUR, pad-lined, Kohli flicks and misses. Off the thigh pad and the ball runs away to fine leg
Arshdeep Singh to Kohli, FOUR, Kohli gets off the mark with a boundary! Dropped short by Arshdeep, Kohli picks the length early
Hazlewood to Azmatullah, out Caught by Jitesh Sharma!! Azmatullah c Jitesh Sharma b Hazlewood 18(12) [4s-1 6s-1]
Shepherd to Harpreet Brar, out Bowled!! Harpreet Brar b Shepherd 4(11)
Shepherd to Azmatullah, FOUR, edged and four, back of a length and holding its line outside off, Azmatullah has a flash and gets a thick edge, flies wide of Jitesh Sharma and runs away to the ropes
Suyash Sharma to Azmatullah, SIX, a handy blow by Azmatullah - picked the wrong 'un, gets down low and then swipes it high overv wide long-on, has enough to clear the fielder running across in the deep
Suyash Sharma to Stoinis, out Bowled!! Stoinis b Suyash Sharma 26(17) [4s-2 6s-2]
Krunal Pandya to Stoinis, SIX, hammered, Stoinis will continue to play his shots, coems down the pitch, makes room and then swings through the line, high and over long-off for a 97m hit
Suyash Sharma to Musheer Khan, out Lbw!! Musheer Khan has been given OUT LBW, he has no choice but to review, he does so straightaway. Did he get an inside edge? The bat is close to the ball, onto ULtraEdge and there's a flat line. Onto ball-tracking: Three reds, Musheer Khan is OUTTwo wickets in the over and Suyash uis on a roll, the impact substitute fails to make an impact and they're in serious trouble now. Musheer Khan lbw b Suyash Sharma 0(3)
Suyash Sharma to Shashank Singh, out Bowled!! PBKS are crumbling, but this is so poor from Shashank Singh - was the wrong 'un and he was looking to slig across the line, misses it completely and the ball crashes into the leg-stump. 'A wild shot', says Sunil Gavaskar on air and PBKS slip further. They've taken the strategic break at the fall of Shashank. Shashank Singh b Suyash Sharma 3(5)
Hazlewood to Stoinis, FOUR, clubbed, on a good length and just outside off - Stoinis stands tall and then drags it wide of mid-wicket, through the infield and the ball races away to the ropes.
Yash Dayal to Nehal Wadhera, out Bowled!! Chopped on! Nehal Wadhera b Yash Dayal 8(10) [4s-1]
Hazlewood to Stoinis, SIX, massive, that's a blow and a half from the powerful Victorian - back of a length and at the stumps, he picks the length early, swivels across and doesn't bother to keep it down, sent it sailing, high and deep into the stands at deep backward square leg, a 89m hit
Hazlewood to Stoinis, FOUR, that was close, short of a good length and just outside off, Stoinis ain't in a great position on the pull, gets a thick inside edge and that wasn't far away from the leg-stump, beats the diving keeper and runs away to the ropes
Hazlewood to Josh Inglis, out Caught by Bhuvneshwar!! Josh Inglis c Bhuvneshwar b Hazlewood 4(7)
Yash Dayal to Nehal Wadhera, FOUR, hammered, fuller length delivery on off, lets Wadhera free his arms and he then lifts it back over the bowler
Hazlewood to Shreyas Iyer, out Caught by Jitesh Sharma!! That's an ugly slog and PBKS have lost three in no time. Shreyas Iyer c Jitesh Sharma b Hazlewood 2(3)
Bhuvneshwar to Prabhsimran, out Caught by Jitesh Sharma!! Prabhsimran c Jitesh Sharma b Bhuvneshwar 18(10) [4s-2 6s-1]
Bhuvneshwar to Prabhsimran, FOUR, back-to-back boundaries for Prabhsimran, comes down the track, takes the momentum into the shovel and gets enough to clear mid-on, couple of bounces and over the ropes
Bhuvneshwar to Prabhsimran, FOUR, thumped, Prabhsimran comes down the wicket, makes room and gets enough bat on the flat-batted drive, sails over mid-off for a one bounce boundary
Yash Dayal to Prabhsimran, SIX
Yash Dayal to Priyansh Arya, out Caught by Krunal Pandya!! Priyansh Arya c Krunal Pandya b Yash Dayal 7(5) [4s-1]
Bhuvneshwar to Priyansh Arya, FOUR, to deep backward point
Virat Kohli has been outstanding in run chases this season, amassing 342 runs in just 6 innings at an astonishing average of 114 and a strike rate of 144.30. His track record against Punjab Kings in the IPL is equally impressive - 1104 runs in 34 innings, including one century and five half-centuries, scored at a strike rate of 133.49.
Shreyas Iyer is enjoying a stellar season, showcasing his adaptability across phases. He’s striking at 148.38 in the PowerPlay, 164.57 in the middle overs (7-15), and a blistering 216.12 at the death. However, RCB has kept him quiet this season, dismissing him for single-digit scores in both encounters.
The upcoming PBKS vs RCB clash is shaping up to be a PowerPlay showdown. PBKS boast the second-highest scoring rate in the phase at 10.02 runs per over. RCB, on the other hand, have dominated early with the ball - their PowerPlay economy rate of 8.79 is the best in the league, complemented by the highest dot-ball percentage (43.5%) and the second-fewest sixes conceded (28) during the phase.
PBKS 18 - 17 RCB. They've played twice this season, winning one game apiece. The last time they met, at this venue, RCB came up trumps en route to an unprecedented away record of seven wins in seven. It must be said, however, that RCB will be without the services of their best batter that night in Chandigarh - Devdutt Padikkal - in the first qualifier.
Punjab Kings Impact Subs: Vijaykumar Vyshak, Praveen Dubey, Suryansh Shedge, Musheer Khan, Xavier Bartlet.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Impact Subs: Mayank Agarawal, Rasikh Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Tim Seifert, Swapnil Singh.
Punjab Kings (Playing XI): Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Josh Inglis(w), Shreyas Iyer(c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Kyle Jamieson
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Rajat Patidar(c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma
Would have bowled first as well. If you look at the record here, teams batting first have done well, so I am optimistic. They have been tremendous and you need such kind of vibration when you enter the ground and it gives us a lot of energy as well
We will bowl first. Wicket looks very hard, decent covering of grass and will try to maximise the first few overs. Everyone gave more than 100 percent in the last game, Jitesh Salt and Kohli they were tremendous. One change for us. Hazlewood comes in place of Thushara.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have won the toss and have opted to field
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