The Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025) playoffs have finally arrived, and kicking things off is a heavyweight clash between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). They will meet in Qualifier 1 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on May 29, with a spot in the final on the line.
The rules are simple, win tonight and you book a ticket to the final. Lose, and you get one more shot via Qualifier 2. But nobody wants that extra game, certainly not with this kind of form and fatigue creeping in.
PBKS have been the surprise package of the season, having a consistent campaign. They finished the league stage as table-toppers. RCB, too, were brilliant. They found different match-winners in their victories and ended second on the table with 19 points.Â
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RCB’s qualification came on the back of a ridiculous run-chase against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), where Jitesh Sharma smashed an unbeaten 85 runs off 33 balls to gun down 228 runs, the highest successful chase in the IPL history for RCB. They will be playing their first Qualifier 1 since 2016.
There are a few selection puzzles ahead of the fixture. Josh Hazlewood might return to the playing XI for RCB, while Tim David’s availability is still up in the air. Punjab will feel the absence of Marco Jansen, especially with the new ball. On the flip side, Yuzvendra Chahal looks set to come back after missing a couple of games due to a wrist injury.
The two sides met twice earlier this season, and they split those games one apiece.
PBKS vs RCB: Match DetailsÂ
MATCH | DETAILS |
|---|---|
DATE | 29/05/2025 |
TIME | 7:30 PM IST |
VENUE | Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur |
BROADCAST | JioStar Network |
STREAMING OTT | JioHotstar |
PBKS vs RCB Pitch Report: Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, MullanpurÂ
The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur has produced some intriguing contests this season. The pitch tends to play fair, offering something for both the batters and the bowlers. The highest total seen here in IPL 2025 is 219, but it has not always been about big runs. In fact, Punjab Kings managed to defend just 111 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in one of the season’s most low-scoring thrillers. Out of the four matches hosted at this ground so far this year, the team batting first has come out on top three times.
PBKS vs RCB Toss UpdateÂ
Royal Challengers Bengaluru win the toss and opt to bowl.
PBKS vs RCB Playing 11
PBKS: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Josh Inglis, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harpreet Brar, Kyle Jamieson, Arshdeep Singh
Impact Substitutes - Vijaykumar Vyshak, Praveen Dubey, Suryansh Shedge, Musheer Khan, Xavier Bartlett
RCB: Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood
Impact Substitutes - Mayank Agarwal, Rasikh Dar, Manoj S Bhandage, Tim Seifert, Swapnil Singh
To know more about today's IPL 2025 match between PBKS and RCB:
Click here for PBKS vs RCB live match commentary
