The Indian Premier League is assured of a new champion for the first time since 2016, with Punjab Kings knocking out five-time title holders Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 on Sunday night in Ahmedabad to set up a mouthwatering final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Neither side has ever lifted the IPL trophy, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the title clash scheduled for Tuesday, also at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
RCB will be playing a fourth IPL final, having finished runners-up in 2009, 2011 and 2016 to Deccan Chargers, Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, respectively. On the other hand, Punjab’s lone IPL final appearance came in 2014, when they were known as Kings XI Punjab, and lost to Kolkata Knight Riders. The 2014 season was also the only time that PBKS had made the playoffs since the concept was introduced in 2011.
Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer, who led the Kolkata Knight Riders to the title in 2024, is the first player to lead three different teams to the finals. He had earlier led the Delhi Capitals to the final in the 2020 edition. On Tuesday, as he leads his troops out against red-hot Royal Challengers Bengaluru, he will fancy his chances of emerging as the first man to lead two franchises to the ultimate prize.
Consistent units
Both Punjab Kings and RCB enjoyed consistent campaigns in the league stage, finishing first and second respectively with identical records — nine wins, four losses, and one no result from 14 matches. Their net run rates were also nearly indistinguishable. In the head-to-head league encounters, PBKS had beaten RCB in Bengaluru, while RCB got their revenge in Mullanpur.
When the two sides met in Qualifier 1 on May 29 in Mullanpur, RCB dominated the contest, skittling PBKS for just 101 and chasing down the target with 60 balls to spare to book their spot in the final.
With little turnaround time, PBKS swiftly overcame the scars to bounce back in style against MI in Qualifier 2. For the second time in a week, they came out on top against MI, this time delivering a composed five-wicket win to seal their place in the final.
The subplot
But beyond the team battle, a fascinating subplot adds to the intrigue, a clash between two top-order maestros — Virat Kohli, the undisputed master of chases in white-ball cricket and Shreyas Iyer, who is rapidly carving his own legacy as a finisher of similar pedigree, with each composed, match-winning knock.
“I love such big occasions and I always say to myself and my colleagues that the bigger the occasion, the calmer you are and you’ll get the best results,” said Iyer, whose 41-ball unbeaten 87 single-handedly guided the Punjab Kings to the first IPL final in 11 years.
For the 30-year-old Iyer (603 runs), a second consecutive appearance in an IPL final speaks volumes of his leadership skills. While Iyer has also led from the front with his batting, he has been complemented well by two young opening batters — Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya at the top besides the likes of Josh Inglish, Shashank Singh and Marcus Stoinis providing adequate support to hold his fort staunchly and even lead aggressive attacks on the opposition camp.
Punjab’s bowling, without Marcus Jansen, did look a little depleted but Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep Singh have led the side without much fuss against a strong team like MI.
For Virat Kohli and RCB, it’s been an endless wait of 18 years for that elusive trophy. Having recently retired from Test and T20 formats, the talismanic batter, who has been the face of the franchise since its inception in 2008, an IPL crown would be a fitting tribute to the legend.
Like every year, Kohli has gone about his business with full dedication this year, amassing 614 runs so far and continuing to lay platforms but where it has made the difference for RCB this season, has been there’s a lot more substance to their batting beyond the superstar.
Phil Salt is a perfect foil for the Indian superstar who goes all-out in his attack, while Mayank Agarwal, skipper Rajat Patidar and Jitesh Sharma are the trusted lieutenants of that batting line-up. It remains to be seen if Tim David is fit for this contest as he forms a vital death overs batting pair with another burly hitter in Romario Shepherd.
Like Kohli in their batting, the calm and composed Josh Hazlewood (21 wickets) has been at the helm of RCB’s rise and the fourth highest wicket-taker and the Australian would want to add more to move up the ladder in one last game.
Closing ceremony — Tribute to Operation Sindoor heroes
The closing ceremony of IPL 2025 will be dedicated to honouring the courage and valour of the Indian Armed forces displayed during the recent “Operation Sindoor.” The chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force are expected to be in attendance for the IPL final at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The ceremony will feature a poignant tribute to the soldiers, recognising their heroism and sacrifice during the conflict.
The ongoing edition of the IPL was temporarily suspended on May 9 due to cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan, which also involved the Indian Armed Forces carrying out Operation Sindoor in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were gunned down by Pakistan-backed terrorists.
Meanwhile, despite no rain being forecasted to disrupt the contest, measures have been put in place to ensure its completion, including an additional hour of play, extending the total duration to 120 minutes and the provision of a reserve day for the final.
Squads:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Rajat Patidar (c), Virat Kohli, Phil Salt (wk), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Swastik Chhikara, Liam Livingstone, Krunal Pandya, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Manoj Bhandage, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar, Suyash Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nuwan Thushara, Lungi Ngidi, Abhinandan Singh, Mohit Rathee, Yash Dayal.
Punjab Kings: Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Vishnu Vinod (wk), Josh Inglis (wk), Harnoor Pannu, Pyla Avinash, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, H arpreet Brar, Azmatullah Omarzai, Priyansh Arya, Aaron Hardie, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Mitch Owen, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Sen, Xavier Bartlett, Pravin Dubey, Kyle Jamieson.