IPL 2025: RCB and PBKS clash for maiden glory
RCB and PBKS set for a thrilling IPL 2025 final as both teams chase their maiden championship at Narendra Modi Stadium
ANI
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IPL to witness new champion as RCB-PBKS fight for their maiden title in 18 years
Ahmedabad, 3 June
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) will lock horns against each other in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Tuesday in order to end their title drought in the competition.
RCB have qualified for the Indian Premier League final thrice in the past, losing all three times in 2009, 2011 and 2016.
PBKS, on the other hand, qualified for the final once in 2014 when they were known as Kings XI Punjab, losing the match to Kolkata Knight Riders.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru were the first team to qualify for the final. They finished the league stage in second spot with 19 points from 14 games before beating Punjab Kings by eight wickets in Qualifier 1 to book their berth in the final.
Virat Kohli has been RCB's go-to man with the bat this season having accumulated 614 runs at an average of 55.82 and a strike rate of 146.53 this season.
On the bowling front, Josh Hazlewood has been their leading wicket-taker with 21 scalps in 11 games at an average of 15.80 and an economy of 8.30.
Punjab Kings, meanwhile, topped the league stage with 19 points from 14 games and a better net run rate than RCB.
However, PBKS lost their Qualifier 1 game against RCB, leading to them facing Mumbai Indians in the Qualifier 2 clash, which they won by five wickets to secure their spot in the summit match.
Skipper Shreyas Iyer has been Punjab Kings' best batter this season with 603 runs at an average of 54.82 and a strike rate of 175.80.
He also made a match-winning 41-ball 87 not out against MI in Qualifier 2 to help guide PBKS into the final.
Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh has been Punjab Kings' main man with the ball, having claimed 18 wickets in 16 games at an average of 26.55 and an economy of 8.79.
In terms of the head-to-head record between the sides, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings have played each other 36 times, with both teams winning 18 times each.
The two teams have met three times this season, with PBKS winning once and RCB winning twice. Punjab won the first encounter of the season between the teams, while Bengaluru emerged triumphant in the second match and Qualifier 1.
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