Chris Gayle Arrives in Ahmedabad for IPL 2025 Final Showdown
Chris Gayle's Arrival in Ahmedabad
Former West Indies cricket star Chris Gayle has landed in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, to witness the Indian Premier League (IPL) final featuring the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Tuesday.
IPL 2025 Final Matchup
The IPL 2025 final will see RCB and PBKS compete for the championship title, both teams eager to break their title drought in this prestigious tournament.
Historical Context of RCB and PBKS
RCB has reached the IPL final three times previously but has yet to secure a victory, finishing as runners-up in 2009, 2011, and 2016. Conversely, PBKS made it to the final once in 2014, then known as Kings XI Punjab, but lost to Kolkata Knight Riders.
Gayle's Impressive IPL Career
Chris Gayle has had a remarkable IPL career, playing for both RCB and PBKS. During his tenure with RCB from 2011 to 2017, he amassed 3,163 runs in 85 matches, averaging 43.33 with a strike rate of 152.73. His record includes five centuries and 19 fifties, with a top score of 175*.
For PBKS, from 2018 to 2021, Gayle played 41 matches, scoring 1,339 runs at an average of 36.19 and a strike rate exceeding 143.21, including one century and ten fifties, with a best score of 104*.
RCB's Journey to the Final
RCB was the first team to secure a spot in the final, finishing the league stage in second place with 19 points from 14 matches. They advanced to the final by defeating Punjab Kings by eight wickets in Qualifier 1.
RCB's Key Players
Virat Kohli has been a standout performer for RCB this season, scoring 614 runs at an average of 55.82 and a strike rate of 146.53, including eight half-centuries.
On the bowling side, Josh Hazlewood leads the team with 21 wickets in 11 matches, boasting an impressive average of 15.80 and an economy rate of 8.30.
PBKS's Path to the Final
Punjab Kings topped the league stage with 19 points from 14 matches, having a superior net run rate compared to RCB. Despite losing to RCB in Qualifier 1, they bounced back by defeating Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 by five wickets to reach the final.
PBKS's Star Players
Shreyas Iyer has been the leading batsman for PBKS this season, scoring 603 runs at an average of 54.82 and a strike rate of 175.80. He played a crucial role in the Qualifier 2 match, scoring an unbeaten 87 runs off 41 balls.
Arshdeep Singh has been the standout bowler for PBKS, taking 18 wickets in 16 matches at an average of 26.55 and an economy rate of 8.79.
Head-to-Head Record
In their historical encounters, RCB and PBKS have faced off 36 times, with each team winning 18 matches. This season, they have met three times, with PBKS winning once and RCB emerging victorious in the other two matches, including Qualifier 1.
Squads for the Final
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarawal, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Dar Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Tim Seifert, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Blessing Muzarabani, Nuwan Thushara, Mohit Rathee, Swastik Chikara, Abhinandan Singh.
Punjab Kings: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Josh Inglis (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Kyle Jamieson, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harpreet Brar, Suryansh Shedge, Praveen Dubey, Xavier Bartlett, Vishnu Vinod, Yash Thakur, Aaron Hardie, Kuldeep Sen, Mitchell Owen, Harnoor Singh, Musheer Khan, Pyla Avinash.