IPL 2025 final: RCB, PBKS aim to end title hunt
What's the story
The 2025 Indian Premier League final will be played between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings on June 3, 2025.
The much-anticipated clash will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the home ground of Gujarat Titans.
Neither team has won an IPL title so far, making this a historic opportunity for both.
Notably, Shreyas Iyer could become the first captain to win the IPL title with multiple franchises.
Details
Pitch report and streaming detials
The pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium usually aids the batters, with seamers also getting assistance with the new ball.
Notably, the average score for the first innings here is 177. This suggests a high-scoring match could be on the cards once again.
Fans can watch the final live on the Star Sports network and stream the same on the JioHotstar app and website (7:30pm IST).
H2h record
A look at head-to-head record
So far, PBKS and RCB have been neck-to-neck in terms of head-to-head record.
Both the teams have faced each other in 36 matches, with RCB and PBKS winning 18 each.
The two teams have met thrice in the ongoing season. PBKS won the first match by five wickets in rain-curtailed fixture. RCB then bounced with a seven-wicket victory.
RCB prevailed in Qualifier 1, winning by eight wickets.
Weather
Could rain play spoilsport?
According to AccuWeather, Ahmedabad will witness a hot yet cloudy day on June 3.
The maximum temperature could go up to 38 degrees Celsius while the minimum is expected to be around 27 degrees Celsius.
There is a 62% chance of rain during the match, which could affect play but hopefully won't be too disruptive.
Unlike Qualifier 2, the final has a reserve day in case rain plays spoilsport.
Qualifier 1
What happened in Qualifier 1?
RCB overcame sorry Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 to reach the final.
The Royal Challengers bowled PBKS out for just 101 runs in 14.1 overs. Josh Hazlewood and Suyash Sharma claimed three-fers.
In response, Phil Salt's 27-ball 56* helped RCB complete the run-chase in 10 overs.
Going forward, PBKS beat the winner of Eliminator, Mumbai Indians, in Qualifier 2. The Kings reached their second IPL final.
Probable XIs
Probable XIs and impact subs
RCB (Probable XI): Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar (captain), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wicket-keeper), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, and Suyash Sharma.
PBKS (Probable XI): Priyansh Arya, Josh Inglis (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer (captain), Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Azmatullah Umarzai, Kyle Jamieson, Vijaykumar Vaishakh, Arshdeep Singh, and Yuzvendra Chahal.
Impact subs: Mayank Agarwal (RCB) and Prabhsimran Singh (PBKS).
Player focus
Key players to watch out for
Kohli will once again have the spotlight. He has scored 614 runs in 14 innings at an average of 55.81 and a strike rate of 146.53. His tally includes eight half-centuries.
Meanwhile, Iyer has led PBKS from the front, with 603 runs from 16 innings at an average of 54.81 and a strike rate of 177.80.
RCB's Hazlewood, who recently return with a bang, owns 21 wickets in 11 matches at 15.80.
Arshdeep also owns 18 wickets in 16 matches.
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