Punjab Kings will host Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1 of the ongoing IPL 2025. The winner of the match will move to the final, while the losing team will play Qualifier 2. They will face the winner of Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians.
Punjab Kings will host Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on May 29. The winner of the match will qualify for the final, while the losing team will play the winner of Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans and the winner of that game will be the second finalist.
Notably, Punjab have been one of the most consistent teams this season but at home, the Shreyas Iyer-led side has struggled to get going. In contrast, Bengaluru haven’t lost any of their away games this season. Since the restart of the tournament, Punjab have won two out of their last three league games and it will give them plenty of confidence but there are certain areas that the team needs to address.
All-rounder Marco Jansen will miss the entire playoffs due to international duty and that’s a massive blow for the team. Ace pacer Lockie Ferguson was ruled out with an injury, was replaced by Kyle Jamieson but the New Zealand international has failed to live up to his potential. Yuzvendra Chahal’s availability is also under the scanner as the spinner missed the last two matches due to a niggle.
RCB, on the other hand, have multiple positive updates. Australia international Josh Hazlewood is very likely to make his return to the playing XI and so is Rajat Patidar, who was playing as an Impact Sub in the last two matches. Their arrival will boost RCB’s chances of getting the job done against Punjab.
Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, Pitch Report
Even though RCB seem to have an advantage on paper, anything is possible in high-pressure games. The pitch will favour the batters as it is usually a high-scoring ground. Bowling first will be ideal as the dew can play a part in the second innings of the game. The spinners may add some value in the middle overs.