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Peter Green - June 2, 2025
The 2025 IPL season comes to an exciting close on Tuesday as Royal Challengers Bangalore take on Punjab Kings once again. This marks the fourth meeting between these two teams this season. It’s also worth noting that IPL 2025 will crown a new champion, as neither RCB nor PBKS has won a title in 18 years.
RCB reached the final directly after an impressive eight-wicket win, chasing down a modest target of 102 in just 10 overs against Punjab Kings. Though that defeat looked like a morale-breaker, PBKS proved their resilience.
Punjab Kings bounced back with a thrilling win over Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2, chasing a tough target of 204. It was the first time in IPL history that Mumbai lost after scoring 200+. Shreyas Iyer led the charge with an unbeaten innings, never allowing Mumbai a chance. That momentum will motivate PBKS, and the earlier loss to RCB will fuel their determination for Tuesday’s final.
Royal Challengers Bangalore and Punjab Kings have played each other 35 times in the IPL. The head-to-head is closely contested, with 18 wins each. RCB has won the last two matches, including the Qualifier 1 clash. During the regular season, both teams won one match each.
At the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, they’ve met once, with RCB winning that encounter. In their last six meetings, RCB has dominated, winning five out of six against PBKS.
Captain- Rajat Patidar
Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma
Impact Player: Mayank Agarwal
Captain- Shreyas Iyer
Priyansh Arya, Josh Inglis, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harpreet Brar, Kyle Jamieson, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh
Impact Player: Prabhsimran Singh
Josh Hazlewood (RCB): Hazlewood is a key threat, especially during the powerplay. He’s likely to target PBKS skipper Iyer early. With 21 wickets in just 11 games, he sits fourth in the Purple Cap standings.
Virat Kohli (RCB): Kohli remains one of the most consistent performers at the top. Despite a quiet Q1, he has scored 40+ in six of his last seven matches and remains a big threat.
Shreyas Iyer (PBKS): Iyer’s unbeaten 87 against Mumbai showcased his class. He handled Bumrah and Boult expertly and is expected to deliver another top innings, although Hazlewood remains a challenge for him.
The Qualifier 1 saw PBKS struggling in both departments. However, they bounced back brilliantly against Mumbai and seem ready for a strong fight in the final. Still, PBKS’ top order remains a concern, especially against an in-form Hazlewood bowling with the new ball. Expect a gripping final between these two title-hungry teams.
PBKS has a powerful batting unit. With Iyer in red-hot form, this bet looks promising. Notably, RCB’s highest individual score this season is 85, while Iyer enters with an unbeaten 87. Inglis and Wadhera also look in good touch.
Iyer has consistently scored 30+ runs in his last six games, except Q1. After his heroic knock in the last game, he’s expected to bounce back against RCB.
PBKS has consistently outperformed RCB in six-hitting this season. In the last match alone, they hit over 10 sixes, with Iyer contributing 8. He’s now just a few away from claiming the most sixes title this season
