IPL 2025: RCB vs PBKS Stats & Records at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

Published - 02 Jun 2025, 13:11 IST | Updated - 02 Jun 2025, 13:12 IST

The final clash of the IPL 2025 (Indian Premier League) will be a repeat of Qualifier 1, as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) attempt to break their trophy droughts at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Neither team has won the IPL title before, so this will be the first time since 2016 that the IPL final will be contested by two teams that are yet to win the tournament. Qualifier 1 was also between RCB and PBKS, but it was a heavily one-sided affair in Mullanpur.

Josh Hazlewood and Suyash Sharma led the bowling efforts as Punjab's batters kept collapsing. No one other than Marcus Stoinis could put up a real fight, and PBKS were even forced to use their Impact Player to bring in a batsman despite batting first. Phil Salt then made a quickfire fifty to bring a swift end to a short contest.

Punjab Kings took their second opportunity to make the final with both hands as they beat Mumbai Indians in the second qualifier, also in Ahmedabad. Jonny Bairstow, Tilak Varma, and Suryakumar Yadav all got starts that laid the platform for Naman Dhir to push MI to get past the 200-run mark.

PBKS did start a little slowly, but Josh Inglis picked up the slack at the right time. With Inglis' start in place, Shreyas Iyer unleashed his full fury on the Mumbai bowlers. After stitching an important partnership with Nehal Wadhera, Iyer really made the day his own with a death-overs assault in a record chase to lead his third team into the final.

In the league stage, RCB and PBKS split the honours 1–1. RCB's batting collapse was softened by a Tim David rescue act in Bengaluru, which wasn't enough to prevent the visitors from winning a close match. During the return fixture in Mullanpur, brilliant death bowling by RCB kept the target low enough that they could chase it with ease, thanks to fifties from Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal.

Ahmedabad has rolled out a batting paradise in terms of the surfaces recently. The final is unlikely to be any different.

The PBKS captain, Shreyas Iyer, has been in incredible form in IPL 2025, but no bowler has made life as hard for him in the IPL as Hazlewood. Iyer has made just 11 runs in 22 balls at a strike rate of 50 in the IPL so far, while being dismissed four times at an average of 2.75.

The Barbados-born Welshman hasn't had a good time against the Indian southpaw in the IPL either. Phil Salt has made just 25 runs in 22 balls against Arshdeep in the league and has been dismissed twice for an average of 11 and a strike rate of 113.64.