Punjab Kings Face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2025 Qualifier Showdown
Exciting IPL 2025 Qualifier Matchup
Mohali: The Punjab Kings (PBKS) are gearing up to take on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the inaugural qualifier of IPL 2025, scheduled for Thursday at the Mullanpur Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium. Both teams are tied with 19 points in the standings, each eager to end their title drought by securing a place in the final.
The toss is set for 7 PM, creating anticipation for this crucial encounter between the season's top two teams. Currently, Punjab leads the table based on net run rate, which could be beneficial in the event of rain delays.
This match is of great importance, as the victor will earn a direct entry into the IPL 2025 final, while the losing team will have one last opportunity to qualify by competing against the winner of the Eliminator match. Notably, there is no reserve day for this qualifier, intensifying the stakes for both teams.
Weather Update for PBKS vs RCB
The weather forecast for Chandigarh looks promising, with low chances of rain. However, if the match is called off, the Punjab Kings, being the higher-ranked team, will automatically progress to the final, which could be a significant blow to RCB's aspirations.
RCB, boasting a lineup filled with stars and having reached three finals without winning the championship, will rely on their seasoned players like Virat Kohli, Krunal Pandya, and Josh Hazlewood to perform under pressure.
On the other hand, the Punjab Kings, captained by Shreyas Iyer, will depend on the strong performances of their emerging talents and all-rounders such as Marcus Stoinis and Kyle Jamieson to counter the challenge posed by the Bengaluru side.
Squads for PBKS vs RCB
Punjab Kings: Nehal Wadhera, Harnoor Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Musheer Khan, Pyla Avinash, Prabhsimran Singh, Vishnu Vinod, Josh Inglis, Marcus Stoinis, Praveen Dubey, Priyansh Arya, Azmatullah Omarzai, Aaron Hardie, Harpreet Brar, Suryansh Shedge, Shashank Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Xavier Bartlett, Kuldeep Sen, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yash Thakur, Mitchell Owen, Kyle Jamieson.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (c), Swastik Chikara, Jitesh Sharma, Philip Salt, Manoj Bhandage, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Liam Livingstone, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Swapnil Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Nuwan Thushara, Yash Dayal, Rasikh Dar Salam, Suyash Sharma, Mohit Rathee, Abhinandan Singh, Mayank Agarawal, Blessing Muzarabani, Tim Seifert.
Match begins at 7:30 PM.