RCB clash with PBKS in high-stakes first qualifier of IPL 2025
After a rampant run in the league stages, the play-offs are finally here for RCB to showcase their magic and flair. In what is going to be a high-stakes battle, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be locking horns with the Punjab Kings for the third time in the tournament. The spoils in this year’s rivalry have so far been shared with Punjab winning the tie in Chinnaswamy after the rain gods played spoilsport while RCB redeemed themselves in the latter’s den.
With nine wins from 14 games, RCB racked up 19 points in the group stages. Punjab Kings also stood on a similar front with identical statistics. Both the teams will be coming on the back of a win as RCB roared past LSG in a high-scoring thriller while Punjab humbled MI in a runfest at Sawai Mansingh Stadium.
Both the teams come in with excellent firepower despite a few maneuvers. RCB will be without Jacob Bethell and Lungi Ngidi who have gone back home for international duties. Punjab Kings will also not be able to avail the services of Marco Jansen who has returned to South Africa due to national duties. In all likelihood, Josh Hazlewood is going to be back for RCB after a brief injury scare.
Despite the hits and misses, one can expect this contest to be a cracker of the highest order. With the presence of two of India’s finest, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer, one can expect this to be a full-blown run-fest, featuring a handful of heavy-hitters laced with incredible rising sensation.
Venue Watch
The surface in New Chandigarh has been a mix of all elements that make the first qualifier a spicy one. The first two games in the venue saw three 200 plus totals while the other two had modest scores, one of which witnessed a 95 all out. With a hint of spongy bounce, a batter needs to be watchful before one can play his shot, Tactical flair will be the key to score on the track.
Match detail:
Match: Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Venue: Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh
Date: 29th May, 2025
Time: 7:30 PM
Head-to-head:
Matches played: 35
RCB: 17
PBKS: 18
Squads:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru:
Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarawal, Rajat Patidar(c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Nuwan Thushara, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Tim Seifert, Rasikh Dar Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Swapnil Singh, Blessing Muzarabani, Tim David, Mohit Rathee, Swastik Chikara, Abhinandan Singh
Punjab Kings:
Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Josh Inglis(w), Shreyas Iyer(c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Harpreet Brar, Kyle Jamieson, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yuzvendra Chahal, Suryansh Shedge, Musheer Khan, Xavier Bartlett, Praveen Dubey, Azmatullah Omarzai, Vishnu Vinod, Yash Thakur, Aaron Hardie, Kuldeep Sen, Mitchell Owen, Harnoor Singh, Pyla Avinash
