The IPL 2025 final would pit Punjab Kings (PBKS) against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), two franchises that have never won the prized trophy. Prior to the top battle, PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer spoke about meeting his Indian teammate Virat Kohli.
RCB, PBKS, and Delhi Capitals are sometimes referred to as the ‘Holy Trinity’ of IPL franchises because they have always competed in the tournament but have never won a title. However, one of them will now have a title to their name.
Under Shreyas Iyer captaincy and Ricky Ponting’s leadership, PBKS qualified for the final after an 11-year absence.
Meanwhile, RCB will seek to win the trophy for Kohli, who has been a part of the team since its inception and has lost four previous finals. While Iyer and Kohli are close, Iyer has stated that on game day, he will do anything to help his team win.
“When you’re on the pitch, it’s all about rivalry. It’s not about comfort. at all. When you step on the pitch, you are at war and fighting to win. So I’ll put in everything and give it my all to ensure that my team wins. You cannot state that this is how we will play since the circumstance might change at any time, and we must adapt to the situation.
“It’s not like we follow a plan and then don’t adjust if circumstances change. Our players are young and fearless, but they have learnt and adapted. So we can’t stick to a strict plan. “We have to go there and see how we are playing the wicket,” he remarked during the pre-final press conference.
For the Punjab captain, this final is more than just a game after being sidelined from India’s Test squad for the England tour and exiting Kolkata Knight Riders after guiding them to their third title in 2024. Notably, Iyer became the first captain to lead three different teams in the IPL finals. If he wins this, he will become the first captain to lift the trophy with two different teams. In the Qualifier 2 against Mumbai Indians, the 30-year-old played a captain’s knock of 87* to take his side home.
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