As Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) gear up for a high-stakes final of IPL 2025 at the Narendra Modi Stadium Ahmedabad on June 03, several individual player battles could shape the outcome of this blockbuster clash. Here are the five match-ups to keep a close eye on:
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The stage is set for the IPL 2025 Final between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the colossal Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, June 3 at 7:30 PM IST.
RCB and PBKS will clash once again after their previous encounter in Qualifier 1, where RCB emerged victorious. Now, both teams lock horns in the ultimate decider.
The Royal Challengers are riding high after a dominant playoff campaign and are desperate to break their title drought and lift their first-ever IPL trophy.
Despite falling short in Qualifier 1, PBKS roared back with a gritty win over the star-studded Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2, showing nerves of steel under pressure.
RCB’s pace attack led by Josh Hazelwood and PBKS’s all-round spin and seam combo, including Arshdeep Singh and Yuzi Chahal, could be key to tilting the match.
When Mayank Agarwal of RCB faces Yuzvendra Chahal from Punjab Kings, Chahal usually wins the battle. Chahal has gotten Mayank out six times in nine games, while Mayank has scored just 72 runs from 45 balls against him.
Kohli has been RCB’s run machine with 602 runs at an average of 60.20. Punjab will rely on Arshdeep Singh, their leading wicket-taker, to strike early and remove the danger man. Kohli has scored 100 runs against Arshdeep and was dismissed 2 times.
PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer has struggled massively against Josh Hazlewood, managing just 11 runs in 6 innings with 4 dismissals. Hazlewood’s discipline could once again test Iyer early on.
Despite Jitesh Sharma's red-hot form, Yuzi Chahal has dismissed him 3 times in 7 innings, conceding just 41 runs. If fit, Chahal could be Punjab’s trump card in the middle overs.
The Punjab opener has taken on Bhuvneshwar Kumar aggressively with a strike rate of 163.88 but has also fallen to him four times in seven innings. A key early battle awaits.
Virat Kohli plays Harpreet Brar conservatively, scoring 74 runs off 67 balls with two dismissals. Brar’s left-arm spin might be key to slowing Kohli down in the powerplay.
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