🏏IPL 2025 - Qualifier 1: PBKS vs RCB at Mullanpur @ 7:30pm🏏

Match Discussion

Posted: 1 months ago
#1

🏏IPL 2025 - Match 71: Qualifier 1

PBKS vs RCB on 29th May 2025 at Mullanpur @ 7:30pm🏏

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Punjab Kings (PBKS) will host Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Mullanpur Stadium on Thursday, May 29, in Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Both teams are searching for their first-ever IPL title and will have the chance to take their campaign at least to the final, scheduled to take place in Ahmedabad on June 3.

Both teams have strong batting orders, complemented by consistent bowling line-ups. For PBKS, their uncapped opening pair of Prabhsimran and Priyans have given the team great starts, with skipper Shreyas Iyer, Nehal Wadhera and Marcus Stoinis taking care of the middle order.

On the other hand, for RCB, Virat Kohli and Phil Salt are adding runs at the top, with Tim David and Jitesh Sharma managing the death overs. Skipper Rajat Patidar has looked off-colour since the resumption of IPL 2025 after the brief gap, and the Bengaluru-based franchise will need him to be at his best in the playoffs if they wish to end their maiden trophy hunt with success.


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Edited by WildestDreams - 1 months ago

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Posted: 1 months ago
#2

Big picture: Ticket to finale

Qualifier 1 of IPL 2025, in New Chandigarh, will be a clash of two teams that share a past and a present. To begin with, both Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are searching for their maiden IPL title.

This is the first time since 2014 that PBKS have made it to the playoffs. They had topped the league stage then also, before losing to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the final.

RCB have been regulars in the playoffs in the past few years, but the last time they finished in the top two was in 2016. Just like PBKS in 2014, they went on to lose the final then, to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

PBKS' success in IPL 2025 has revolved around their uncapped Indian players, while RCB have traditionally been the home of the game's biggest superstars, they have shed that persona this time. Their captain Rajat Patidar has four international caps to his name, their vice-captain Jitesh Sharma nine.

The similarities don't end there. Both teams have key bowlers coming in after brief injury layoffs. Yuzvendra Chahal missed PBKS' last two games with a wrist issue but is expected to be fit for Thursday's game. Similarly, RCB are set to be bolstered by Josh Hazlewood's return after a shoulder injury.

At the same time, both teams will be without an important player each. PBKS allrounder Marco Jansen has returned to South Africa to prepare for the World Test Championship (WTC) final, while RCB's Tim David is unlikely to be available due to the hamstring injury he picked up against SRH.

Whichever way you look at it, it's not easy to separate the two teams. If PBKS have the advantage of playing at home (though it's not a home game, technically), RCB will take confidence from their win against them at this venue earlier in the season. The good thing is that whoever loses on Thursday will get another shot at getting to the final.

Edited by WildestDreams - 1 months ago
Posted: 1 months ago
#3

In the spotlight: Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli

Not only are Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli the most experienced batters of their sides, but also the leading run-getters. Kohli has 608 runs at a strike rate of 147.91; Iyer 514 at 171.90. Of late, both have improved their T20 games: Iyer against pace and bounce, Kohli with his overall intent.

But Kohli might have the upper hand on Thursday. Iyer has scored just 25 runs in four innings in New Chandigarh this season and has an underwhelming record against several RCB bowlers (more on that in the stats section below). On the other hand, Kohli was the Player of the Match for his unbeaten 73 off 54 balls the last time these two teams played here. After RCB won that game, Kohli turned towards Iyer and celebrated animatedly. Apparently, Kohli did it in jest, but Iyer did not seem to take it that way. So get ready for round 2.

Edited by WildestDreams - 1 months ago
Posted: 1 months ago
#4

Team news and likely XIIs

In their last match, PBKS played both Jansen and Kyle Jamieson, thus giving themselves the option of a fifth frontline bowler while still maintaining the batting cushion. Now with Jansen unavailable, they may have to bring back Azmatullah Omarzai. The other option is to play one of Xavier Bartlett and Vijaykumar Vyshak, but that will compromise their batting depth.

Punjab Kings (probable): 1 Priyansh Arya, 2 Prabhsimran Singh, 3 Josh Inglis (wk), 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 5 Nehal Wadhera, 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Marcus Stoinis, 8 Azmatullah Omarzai, 9 Kyle Jamieson, 10 Harpreet Brar, 11 Arshdeep Singh, 12 Yuzvendra Chahal

Nuwan Thushara was the pick of the bowlers against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), but he is the likeliest to make way for Hazlewood. If RCB want to play both, they will have to rejig their overseas combination, something they may not want to do at this stage.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (probable): 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Mayank Agarwal, 4 Rajat Patidar (capt), 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Krunal Pandya, 7 Liam Livingstone, 8 Romario Shepherd, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Yash Dayal, 11 Josh Hazlewood, 12 Suyash Sharma

Edited by WildestDreams - 1 months ago
Posted: 1 months ago
#5

Pitch and conditions

New Chandigarh has hosted four IPL games so far this season. The first two featured three 200-plus totals. The last two saw 111 all out, 95 all out, and 157 for 6 in 20 overs. It will be interesting to see what sort of pitch is dished out on Thursday. The temperature should be around 30°C with no forecast for rain.

Mullanpur results

Edited by WildestDreams - 1 months ago
Posted: 1 months ago
#6

Key stats

  • Among the ten batters who have scored over 500 runs in the season, Iyer's strike rate of 171.90 is second only to Nicholas Pooran's 196.25.
  • But Hazlewood has dismissed Iyer three times in 19 balls in T20 cricket while giving away just nine runs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, too, has got Iyer out three times in the IPL while conceding just 45 runs in 50 balls. While Iyer has got out only once to Krunal Pandya, he has a strike rate of just 85.41 (41 runs in 48 balls) against him.
  • Arshdeep Singh has dismissed Phil Salt four times in 32 balls while conceding only 25 runs.
  • Mayank Agarwal averages just 12.00against Chahal (six dismissals for 72 runs) in the IPL but has a strike rate of 160.00 (72 runs in 45 balls, with five sixes).
Posted: 1 months ago
#7

What to expect: A hot evening, and an inclination to bat first? The average first innings score at the venue this year has been 173, with three of the four games won by the team setting the target.

Head to head: 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.

Posted: 1 months ago
#8

Punjab Kings

Injury/Unavailability: Marco Jansen has returned home to prepare for the upcoming World Test Championship final against Australia, starting on June 11 in London. Azmatullah Omarzai should take his spot in the first qualifier.

Tactics & Match-ups: Arshdeep Singh vs RCB openers could be a face-off on tenterhooks. The left-armer has conceded just 25 off 34 balls to Phil Salt while having dismissed him four times in the process. Kohli however, has taken the bowler apart in this format - hitting 93 off 51 deliveries.

PBKS might be tempted to bring Yuzvendra Chahal into the mix, despite his ordinary season so far. The leggie has tamed the otherwise free-spirited Jitesh Sharma in this format - getting him out four times in 39 deliveries for 43 runs. He has also dismissed Mayank Agarawal seven times in this format in 55 balls. In 9 fixtures against his former team, he has 9 wickets and an economy rate of 7.77.

Posted: 1 months ago
#9

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Injury/Unavailability: After a Q1-securing knock in Jaipur, Jitesh offered more music to the ears of RCB supporters during the presentation in Lucknow. "Josh Hazlewood is fit now. He will probably play in the knockouts," he said. Should he still miss out, RCB can go with Nuwan Thushara, who gave a good account of himself (1-26 in 4 overs) in the last league game against LSG.

RCB are likely to be without Tim David, who appeared to hurt his hamstring in the game against SRH on May 23. He missed the LSG fixture. It also remains to be seen if Rajat Patidar continues as an impact substitute with Jitesh leading the side.

Tactics & Match-ups: Being able to break PBKS' opening stand early goes a long way in clipping their batting wings. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has dismissed Prabhsimran Singh four times in 46 balls in all T20s, and will be trusted to do it one more time on Thursday. He also has favourable numbers against Shreyas Iyer - 45 runs off 50 balls, 3 dismissals. Bhuvneshwar also has a dot ball percentage of 50.6 in the PowerPlay - bettered only by three others this season (Josh Hazlewood, Khaleel Ahmed and Mohammed Siraj).

Posted: 1 months ago
#10

Did you know:

- In chases this season, Virat Kohli has scored 342 runs in 6 innings at an average of 114 and strike rate of 144.30. Kohli also has 1104 runs in 34 innings against Punjab in IPL, with one century and five fifties, at a strike rate of 133.49.

- Shreyas Iyer is in the midst of a dream season - striking at 148.38, 164.57 and 216.12 in the PowerPlay, middle overs (7-15) and the death respectively. He however, has two single-digit scores against RCB this season.

- PBKS v RCB will be a PowerPlay battle - PBKS have the second-best scoring rate in the phase at 10.02. RCB meanwhile, have the lowest economy rate (8.79), the highest dot ball percentage (43.5) and have conceded the second-fewest sixes (28) in this phase.

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