New Delhi: Punjab Kings (PBKS) are all set to host Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at their home ground – the Mullanpur Stadium in New Chandigarh on Thursday. This time, it isn’t for a league-phase clash, but an all-important playoff match that would provide the winning side a direct ticket to the summit clash of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. The league stage saw the two teams sharing their two clashes 1-1, but it has all come down to this!
The epic clash can be weighed with the exceptional players the two sides boast, and when they will engage in a fierce battle of bat and bowl, several face-offs are supposed to be on the tenterhooks. The two sides carry similar stats in the points table as they sit first and second with nine wins and four losses each, and a game ending in a no result, getting them to 19 points.
They are only apart in the net run rate factor as PBKS is at the top for a +0.37 while RCB follows with +0.301 NRR. They have already faced each other for two times in the league stage this season as PBKS claimed the first leg fixture by five wickets in Bengaluru while RCB claimed the return leg match by seven wickets in New Chandigarh, the same venue where it all comes back for one final time for the two teams.
So… what can be expected from the clash and who are the key players that carry a lot of potential to turn the game on its head when it is required the most? Let’s have a look at such players from both sides and what’s going to happen when they come head-to-head.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦. 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 🔥#PBKS & #RCB are just 1⃣ win away from a place in the #TATAIPL 2025 finals 😬
Who’s making it through? 🤔#PBKSvRCB | #TheLastMile | @PunjabKingsIPL | @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/1eiHt3oE34
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 28, 2025
PBKS vs RCB Q1 Key Battles
Virat Kohli vs Arshdeep Singh
Although Arshdeep Singh carries a lot of pace and his swinging abilities make him a nightmare, specially for the openers, star RCB batter Virat Kohli has fared tremendously well against him. He has taken the bowler apart in this format, hitting 93 off 51 deliveries. The left-arm pacer, when up against Phil Salt, has only conceded 25 off 34 balls, having dismissed him four times in the process.
So, Arshdeep against the RCB openers is surely a battle to watch out for!
Yuzvendra Chahal vs Jitesh Sharma
Seeing his ability against two of the finest batters of RCB at the current stage, PBKS might be tempted to rope in Yuzvendra Chahal for the marquee clash. Although he has had an ordinary season so far, the leggie has historically tamed the otherwise free-spirited Jitesh Sharma in this format, getting him out four times in 39 deliveries for 43 runs.
His effectiveness against Mayank Agarwal, too, has been impressive as he has dismissed him seven times in this format in 55 balls. RCB is Chahal’s former team, and he has nine wickets and an economy rate of 7.77 in nine fixtures against them.
Josh Hazlewood vs Shreyas Iyer
Wondering if Josh Hazlewood would take the field for RCB in this all-important clash? A swift answer would be a big yes, as the team has only got him back for the playoffs stage, and it would be a shame if he is made to sit out of the first qualifier, which guarantees a ticket to the final directly. One major reason to pull him in would be his work against PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer, as he has dismissed him thrice in 19 deliveries.
PBKS and RCB are all set to vie for a direct ticket to the IPL 2025 final in the Qualifier 1 clash scheduled on Thursday. Here are some of the key battles that can have a larger impact on the game, making it decisive. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
