June 2,PBKS vs RCB Match Highlights: The teams of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Punjab Kings are all set for the title match of IPL 2025. Both the teams have reached the final after a long time and have never won the title till now. The final match between RCB and Punjab will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and these two teams will try to end the title drought. The match will start at 7:30 PM, while the toss will take place half an hour before that at 7:00 PM.
Eyes will be on Kohli
In the final match of PBKS vs RCB, once again all eyes will be on Virat Kohli, who has recently said goodbye to Test cricket. This season, Kohli has been in outstanding form, and many anticipate that he will have a strong final innings. Since the beginning of the IPL, Kohli has been a part of RCB, and this will be his fourth final appearance.
Will Tim David play?
This year, Kohli has not been the only player in the limelight, but he has quietly worked to strengthen RCB. Phil Salt provided good support to the Indian superstar to give RCB a good start, while Mayank Agarwal, captain Rajat Patidar and Jitesh Sharma are reliable players in the batting order. Tim David missed RCB’s last two matches due to injury so it remains to be seen if he is fit for this match or not. He has played an important role in Death Overs along with Romario Shepherd.
Hazlewood-Bhubaneswar’s bowling is stronger
For RCB, Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar being in form has been a relief. Josh Hazlewood (21 wickets) has contributed significantly for RCB. He is currently fourth in the list of bowlers who have taken the most wickets in the current season of IPL. RCB have put their previous problems behind them and have performed well from start to finish this time. Their team will feel motivated to replicate their performance after they defeat Punjab by eight wickets in the first qualifier to go to the final.
Shreyas will show courage again
On the other hand, captain Shreyas Iyer had a strong performance for Punjab Kings and will be expected to do the same in the final. Punjab Kings, who have been consistently on top in the second half of the points table, have made significant progress under the supervision of captain Iyer and coach Ricky Ponting. Kolkata Knight Riders became champions last year under the leadership of Iyer (603 runs). To reach the IPL final for the second time in a row like this speaks volumes about his abilities as a leader who organizes his players as well as anyone in the format. It is therefore not surprising that Iyer is the only cricketer in the tournament’s 18-year history to have led three different teams to the IPL final, with Delhi Capitals being the third team.
Expect better performance from Chahal
Punjab Kings have good batsmen to support Iyer in the form of Prabhasimran Singh, Josh English, Priyansh Arya and Shashank Singh, who can hold their position strong and also attack the opposition camp aggressively. Punjab’s bowling looked a little weak without Marco Jansson, but keeping Mumbai Indians at bay for the entire innings on a batting-friendly wicket shows that their attack is not too weak. Yuzvendra Chahal is still struggling with a hand injury and was not at his best in the second qualifier, but Punjab will expect him to perform well against his former franchise.
PBKS vs RCB: The possible playing-11 of both the teams
Punjab Kings:
Priyansh Arya, Josh English (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer (captain), Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai, Kyle Jamieson, Vijaykumar Vishak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Royal Challengers Bangalore:
Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar (captain), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyesh Sharma.
Read More: Heinrich Klaasen Says Goodbye to Playing for South Africa
