The two most lasting franchises in IPL, Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), will meet in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2025 at the New PCA Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh. Even though they have been in the IPL for 18 years, both sides have never won the trophy. Since both teams have only two more wins to end their title drought, there is huge excitement for this big playoff match.
This time around, PBKS and RCB easily got to the playoffs, but by quite different means. RCB, whose campaigns were up and down in the past, enjoyed more stability on their journey this year. They had 8 points in their opening seven matches, and then they won four games straight, giving themselves extra room to qualify.
PBKS had a tough run in the season’s middle, competing with Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians to grab those top spots. Since Delhi faltered in late games, Punjab officially caught up and passed ahead. A convincing win over the Mumbai Indians in the last group match helped them move to the best position on the points table.
It’s also interesting that PBKS and RCB had two matches in the regular season over a span of just three days. The first game was won by Punjab despite rain, but RCB reacted with a strong victory in Mullanpur, one of their seven away wins this year.
Punjab will have the advantage of playing on their ground, but RCB have a better record when they travel and more experience in playoff matches. Still, PBKS’s captain comes into this match as the title holder in the IPL, which makes the contest more interesting. Since the two teams are equally strong and want to win their first title, the Qualifier will be intense and exciting.
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