History is up for grabs as Punjab Kings prepare to take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final of the Indian Premier League 2025 on June 3 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Punjab Kings, who last reached a final over a decade ago, the road has been filled with near-misses. This time, under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, they have stormed into the final with purpose and belief.


Players to watch out for :

 Skipper Shreyas Iyer’s unbeaten 87 off 41 deliveries in the second qualifier was a masterclass in pressure batting, helping PBKS chase down 204 with an over to spare. His calm presence at the crease has been crucial throughout the season. Youngster Nehal Wadhera also played a decisive hand in the qualifier, showing maturity beyond his years. With Josh Inglis providing consistency in the middle order, PBKS now boast a balanced and adaptable batting unit. The Australian wicketkeeper-batter has quietly stitched key partnerships and added solidity to the line-up.

On the bowling front, Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal have delivered crucial spells. It’s a unit that has gradually found its rhythm and now looks in sync ahead of the biggest game of the season.

What to Expect from the Pitch:

The average first innings score across the last 10 IPL matches at the Narendra Modi Stadium is 209. Teams batting first have won 60 per cent of the matches at this venue, indicating that setting a total might be the safer approach.

Head-to-Head :

RCB and PBKS have faced off 36 times in T20 cricket. The rivalry is currently evenly poised with both sides winning 18 matches each. In the last five encounters, however, RCB hold the edge with four wins, while PBKS have won once. The highest score in these recent matches is 241 by RCB, while the lowest is also by them – 95 all out.
In the 20 matches where teams have batted first, they’ve won 9 and lost 11. In 16 chases, the chasing side has won 9 and lost 7 – a stat that underlines the importance of momentum and match-ups on the day.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad:
Mayank Agarwal, Rajat Patidar (c), Swastik Chikara, Tim David, Virat Kohli, Krunal Pandya, Liam Livingstone, Manoj Bhandage, Mohit Rathee, Romario Shepherd, Swapnil Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Phil Salt (wk), Tim Seifert (wk), Abhinandan Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Blessing Muzarabani, Josh Hazlewood, Nuwan Thushara, Rasikh Salam, Suyash Sharma and Yash Dayal.

Punjab Kings Squad:
Harnoor Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Priyansh Arya, Pyla Avinash, Shashank Singh, Shreyas Iyer (c), Aaron Hardie, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Owen, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Josh Inglis (wk), Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Vishnu Vinod (wk), Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Kuldeep Sen, Kyle Jamieson, Pravin Dubey, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Xavier Bartlett, Yash Thakur and Yuzvendra Chahal.

For Punjab Kings, this is not just another final, it’s a shot at rewriting history. A team that has often flown under the radar has now arrived with intent and cohesion. As the spotlight intensifies, PBKS stand just one step away from turning years of heartbreak into a moment of triumph.