Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League 2025 season sees Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru face each other on May 29. Notably, PBKS finished top of the table in the league stage, with RCB finishing 2nd. Interestingly, PBKS and RCB both finished on 19 points each. PBKS had the better NRR. Both sides had to win their final league game to secure a ticket to Qualifier 1. PBKS overcame Mumbai Indians, whereas RCB stunned LSG in a mammoth run-chase.
What is the Context of the PBKS vs RCB Match?
Whichever team wins Qualifier 1 will reach the IPL 2025 final. For the losing team, they will get another bite at the cherry as they will play Qualifier 2 against the winner from the Eliminator clash. Notably, there is every possibility that PBKS and RCB face each other again in the final on May 3.
In terms of the head-to-head record, PBKS and RCB have met each other 35 times in the IPL. PBKS have won 18 matches to RCB’s 17. In the 2025 season, the two teams have met twice, with each side winning one game apiece.
PBKS are aiming to reach their 2nd IPL final in the tournament’s history, having lost to Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014. Meanwhile, RCB is looking to reach its 3rd IPL final, having lost both of its previous outings. In the 2025 season, PBKS have shone under Shreyas Iyer, who led KKR to the title win in 2024. RCB have witnessed talisman Virat Kohli leading the show for them.
7:30 pm is the official time for the match to start at the Mullanpur Cricket Stadium in Chandigarh, which is the venue for both Qualifier 1 and Eliminator.
Punjab Kings – Probable Playing XI
Marco Jansen is a big miss for PBKS. He has returned to the South African camp as the Proteas gear up for the big ICC World Test Championship final against Australia.
Priyansh Arya: PBKS’ uncapped opening star Priyansh Arya has scored 424 runs in his debut season at 30.28. He has struck at 183-plus.
Prabhsimran Singh: Now an experienced campaigner for PBKS, Prabhsimran Singh has been solid at the top. He has scored 499 runs in IPL 2025.
Josh Inglis (wicketkeeper): He is proving to be a shrewd customer for PBKS and comes into this game on the back of a stellar knock vs MI.
Shreyas Iyer (captain): Former DC and KKR skipper Iyer will hope to take PBKS to the final. He has 514 runs this season at 51.40 (50s: 5).
Nehal Wadhera: Former MI player Nehal Wadhera has been a stern acquisition for PBKS. He has scored 298 runs this season.
Shashank Singh: With 284 runs from 11 innings, PBKS finisher Shashank Singh remains a fine bet for the team this season.
Marcus Stoinis: All-rounder Marcus Stoinis is effective at the death, and he owns a brilliant strike rate this season. He is nearing 2000 career IPL runs.
Azmatullah Omarzai: He will come in as Marcos Jansen’s replacement. Omarzai is a class all-rounder and lends batting depth.
Kyle Jamieson: Another all-rounder in the ranks lends voice and depth. Jamieson is an experienced big-hitter and a useful pacer.
Harpreet Brar: He has grown this season and is enjoying a pivotal campaign.
Arshdeep Singh: PBKS’ main weapon with the ball, Arshdeep, owns 18 scalps this season. Overall, he has 94 wickets in the IPL.
Impact Sub (Yuzvendra Chahal): He missed PBKS’ last game due to an injury but is likely to return as an Impact Sub.
Key player to watch from PBKS
Iyer is PBKS’ key player in this contest. He is a fine leader and has a chance of leading a 3rd different side to the IPL final. With over 500 runs this season, he is a valuable asset. Iyer is closing in on 6500 runs in 20-over cricket.
RCB Probable Playing XI
For RCB, Josh Hazlewood is expected to make a comeback after missing the side’s last 4 games due to injury. He has 18 wickets this season. Nuwan Thusara is expected to make way for the Aussie pacer.
Phil Salt: Englishman Phil Salt owns 331 runs from 11 matches this season, striking at over 170.
Virat Kohli: RCB supremo Kohli has over 600 runs this season and is in the race for a 2nd successive Orange Cap. He has 8 fifties.
Mayank Agarwal: He came on as a replacement for Devdutt Padikkal, and after a failure in RCB’s 2nd-last group stage contest, he shone in the previous game.
Rajat Patidar (captain): Rajat Patidar is expected to make a return after being an Impact Sub in the previous contest.
Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper): He stole the show for RCB in a stiff run chase against LSG. It was brutal power and hitting from Jitesh.
Krunal Pandya: He has a massive role to play with his all-round exploits. He owns 15 scalps for RCB this season in addition to scoring 105 runs (6 innings).
Liam Livingstone: He has had a dismal campaign for RCB and remains a weak link. He needs to step up big time.
Romario Shepherd: He remains a threat with his bowling and big-hitting skills.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: Veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar can start well. He has dismissed Prabhsimran 4 times across 6 innings in the 20-over format.
Yash Dayal: He remains a vital cog for RCB with his left-arm pace.
Josh Hazlewood: His return will be massive for RCB. He was on fire before being injured.
Impact Sub (Suyash Sharma): He is RCB’s spin option as an Impact Sub.
Key player to watch from RCB
Kohli is RCB’s key player in this contest. He has been scoring runs consistently and remains a threat if RCB chase. He averages 114 while chasing this season. He is also nearing a record of becoming the top scorer vs Punjab in IPL history.
Pitch Report & Venue Conditions
Generally, the surface here is likely to be on the slower side, so batters will need to execute their shots to perfection. Bowlers need to bowl in the right areas and count on the surface to do the rest. Once the ball gets older, it doesn’t skid off the surface that well. In IPL 2025, teams batting first here have clocked 205, 219, 111 and 157. The average score batting 1st this season reads 173.
Match Prediction – Who Has the Upper Hand?
It’s difficult to predict and separate the two teams, which are almost equally balanced and have desired match-winners.
FAQs About PBKS vs RCB Playing 11
Who is injured or not playing in the PBKS vs RCB clash?
Jansen will miss the clash and the remainder of IPL 2025. Tim David is set to miss out on RCB due to a hamstring issue.