The final match of the IPL 2025 (Indian Premier League) will be a rematch of Qualifier 1, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) attempting to end their trophy droughts at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Neither team has won the IPL title before, meaning this will be the first time since 2016 that the IPL final will be fought by two teams that have not won the competition. Qualifier 1 also included RCB and PBKS, but it was a one-sided game in Mullanpur.
Josh Hazlewood and Suyash Sharma led the bowling attack as Punjab’s batsmen continued to collapse. Marcus Stoinis was the only player who could put up a fight, and despite batting first, PBKS was forced to deploy their Impact Player to bring in a batsman. Phil Salt then fired a quickfire fifty to put an end to the short contest.
Punjab Kings seized their second chance to get to the final, defeating Mumbai Indians in the second qualifier, which was also held in Ahmedabad. Jonny Bairstow, Tilak Varma, and Suryakumar Yadav all got starts, paving the way for Naman Dhir to propel MI above the 200-run barrier.
PBKS got off to a sluggish start, but Josh Inglis stepped up at the perfect time. Shreyas Iyer unleashed his full fury on the Mumbai bowlers after Inglis took the start. After forming a key relationship with Nehal Wadhera, Iyer made the day his own with a death-overs onslaught in a record pursuit to propel his third team to the finals.
In the league stage, RCB and PBKS shared the points 1-1. RCB’s batting meltdown was mitigated by a Tim David rescue act in Bengaluru, but it was insufficient to prevent the visitors from winning a close game. RCB’s superb death bowling in the return match in Mullanpur kept the target low enough for them to easily chase, with to fifties from Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal.
IPL stats and records at Narendra Modi Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad has rolled out a batting paradise in terms of the surfaces recently. The final is unlikely to be any different.
| Matches Played | 45 |
| Won by team batting first | 21 |
| Won by team batting second | 22 |
| Matches Tied | 01 |
| Matches With No Result | 00 |
| Average first innings score | 178 |
| Highest team total | 243 |
| Highest total successfully chased | 205 |
Player battles to watch out for in RCB vs PBKS IPL 2025 Final:
1) Shreyas Iyer vs Josh Hazlewood
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.
2) Phil Salt vs Arshdeep Singh
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 12.50 and a strike rate of 113.64.
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