IPL 2025 final: PBKS elect to field against RCB
What's the story
After two months of high-voltage action, the 2025 Indian Premier League final is finally upon us. Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings are squaring off in the much-anticipated clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Neither team has won an IPL title so far, making this a historic opportunity for both. PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer has won the toss and elected to field.
Teams
A look at two teams
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarawal, Rajat Patidar (captain), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wicket-keeper), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, and Josh Hazlewood. Punjab Kings (Playing XI): Priyansh Arya, Josh Inglis (wicket-keeper), Shreyas Iyer (captain), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Kyle Jamieson, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, and Yuzvendra Chahal.
Details
Pitch report and streaming detials
The pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium usually aids the batters, with seamers also getting assistance early on. 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).
Record
Head-to-head record
RCB and PBKS have been neck-to-neck in the IPL so far. Both the teams have faced each other in 36 matches, 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.
Qualifier 1
What happened in Qualifier 1?
RCB overcame PBKS 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.
Milestones
Kohli, Iyer eye these feats
The impending final can end Virat Kohli's wait for his maiden IPL title. He has been with RCB since the inaugural season (2008). Notably, RCB can become the second side to win both the IPL and the Women's Premier League. Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer could become the first-ever captain to win an IPL title with multiple franchses. Kolkata Knight Riders won IPL 2024 under Iyer.
Information
A rare final!
As mentioned, both RCB and PBKS haven't won an IPL title yet. As per Cricbuzz, the last instance of an IPL final featuring two teams without an IPL trophy was in 2016 (RCB vs SRH).