RCB:
Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Mayank Agarwal, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone / Tim David, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma (Impact Sub)
PBKS:
views : 762
4 Min Read
Royal Challengers Bangalore and Punjab Kings finished as the top two teams at the end of the IPL 2025 league stage. They played against each other twice in the league stage, clashed again in Qualifier 1, and are now scheduled to meet once more in the highly-anticipated final on Tuesday. There is little to argue that both teams deserve to play the final. They have surprised one and all with outstanding performances throughout the season. And now, the one who conquers the final battle will take home the coveted trophy.
Punjab and Bangalore have played against each other thrice this season with RCB leading the battle 2-1. In the recent Qualifier 1 encounter, Rajat Patidar and Co. registered a comfortable 8-wicket win against PBKS. They ran through Punjab’s batting line-up, bowling them out for 101. Punjab Kings have posted big totals on numerous occasions this season but they haven’t been able to score that freely against RCB.
The aggressive approach from their openers failed every time they faced Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Neither of the two has scored a single half-century in three games played against them. In addition, both got out cheaply in Qualifier 1 and Qualifier 2. Punjab could once again find themselves in trouble if their openers don't give their team a good start in the powerplay.
Josh Inglis and Shreyas Iyer played outstanding knocks in the IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 against MI. However, they will have a serious threat looming in the form of Josh Hazlewood. The Australian bowler has dominated the battle against Shreyas Iyer so far and the latter should look to come out with better plans against him. A reason why Punjab Kings are in the final is because they haven’t just depended on their top order to do the bulk of the scoring. Punjab Kings’ depth in batting makes them a dangerous unit.
In the current line-up, Nehal Wadhera is one batter who, perhaps, hasn’t been given the appreciation that he deserves. The left-hander has made some fabulous contributions this season and was involved in the crucial match-winning partnership with Shreyas Iyer in the last game against MI. He hammered 48 runs off just 29 balls, including four fours and two sixes. He will be one player to watch out for.
Virat Kohli will be playing his fourth IPL final for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He has been playing for this very franchise since his IPL debut. And, given how passionate he is to win games for his team, there would be only one thought in his mind i.e., to win the final. It doesn't matter how many runs he has scored so far this season. For Kohli, it could be his last opportunity to win an IPL title for his fans. He has already announced retirement from international cricket in two formats and who knows this could be his final appearance in IPL as well.
For Virat Kohli, the focus would only be on this very game! Those wide eyes would be focusing on each delivery like it’s the last of his career. Every RCB fan would be praying that he stands up on the big day and win the game. He will find support from Phil Salt, who too has been in breathtaking form. He smacked 57 runs off just 28 balls in the IPL 2025 Qualifier 1 against PBKS and if he stays for more than six overs in the final, RCB would be in the driver’s seat. The problem, however, lies in the middle-order. Coming back from injury, Rajat Patidar has lost his touch a bit and there is still no confirmation on Tim David’s return in the eleven.
That said, in a high-pressure game, temperament often matters more than current form. Can the likes of Mayank Agarwal, Jitesh Sharma, and Rajat Patidar absorb the pressure and rise to the occasion? We’ll have to wait and see.
RCB might have bowled well against Punjab in the three encounters so far but two of those matches were played in New Chandigarh - a surface that provided extra pace and bounce.
However, the bowlers won’t find a lot of help at the Narendra Modi Stadium and there is less possibility of teams getting out on low scores. The bowlers ought to bowl with a lot more discipline as the margin of error is too thin.
For RCB, while Josh Hazlewood has been their go-to bowler, the entire unit has bowled well this season. Suyash Sharma’s performance has been a revelation for the team. Punjab batters failed to read his wrong ‘uns in the last game and he will look to cause a similar threat on Tuesday. Josh Hazlewood is their highest wicket-taker with 21 wickets in just 11 matches at an average of 15.81.
Punjab Kings’ bowling looks a bit weaker, in comparison to RCB. They might miss Marco Jansen on the big day, who could trouble RCB openers with his extra bounce due to his height. Kyle Jamieson can be handy only if he finds some swing early on with the new ball. Both Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal proved expensive in the last game and that is a worrying sign for them. They are the ones Shreyas Iyer will rely on to pick wickets at crucial stages in the game.
Here’s a look at the predicted Playing XIs of both teams:
RCB:
Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Mayank Agarwal, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone / Tim David, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma (Impact Sub)
PBKS:
Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Josh Inglis (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Kyle Jamieson, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar/Yuzvendra Chahal, Vijaykumar Vyshak (Impact Sub)