Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will go up against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 37th match of IPL 2025 on Sunday. The game will be held at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium in Mullanpur, Punjab. The match will start at 3:30 pm. Interestingly, this is a repeat of their Friday encounter, where Punjab defeated Bengaluru by five wickets in a rain-shortened game.

RCB Look for Momentum Away from Home

So far, RCB have failed to win at home. However, they remain unbeaten in away games. Therefore, playing in Mullanpur could boost their confidence. They may consider bringing back Devdutt Padikkal, who missed Friday’s match. In his absence, the batting order was shuffled, which did not work well.

After the last match, captain Rajat Patidar reflected on the team’s mistakes. He said, “Partnerships are important, we have lost wickets in quick intervals and that's a big lesson for us.”

Bengaluru Rely on Top Order

Now, RCB will hope Phil Salt and Virat Kohli provide a powerful start. Then, the middle-order players like Patidar, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, and Tim David must build on that.

Bowlers Must Step Up

Meanwhile, in the bowling unit, Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will lead the attack. Still, they need better support from Yash Dayal, Krunal, and Suyash Sharma. Despite losing at home, Hazlewood remained optimistic. He said, “The way we went about it (defending the total) on the field was a positive… we can take that momentum to the next game.”

PBKS Aim to Continue Winning Run

On the other hand, Punjab Kings are flying high under Shreyas Iyer’s leadership. They have won five out of seven games. As a result, they sit second on the points table, just behind Delhi Capitals.

Punjab’s Bowlers Deliver Consistently

What’s working well for Punjab is their bowling. Arshdeep Singh, Xavier Bartlett, and Marco Jansen have been excellent with the new ball. Additionally, Yuzvendra Chahal has taken key wickets in the middle overs. Iyer praised him, saying, “You are a match winner… you don't need to be safe in your approach… he has got the capability of bouncing back.”

PBKS Batting Remains Strong

When it comes to batting, openers Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh are expected to give a flying start. Arya already scored a century this season. Furthermore, their middle-order looks solid with Iyer, Inglis, Wadhera, Shashank Singh, and Stoinis.

Although Punjab won the last match, it was Nehal Wadhera’s late cameo that made the difference. Josh Inglis, on the other hand, is still looking for a big score in this tournament.

Weather and Pitch Conditions

As per the forecast, the weather will be extremely hot on Sunday. Thankfully, there’s no chance of rain. Moreover, the pitch is expected to favor batters. Therefore, teams may aim to score more than 200 runs to stay competitive.

PBKS Lead in Head-to-Head Record

With their recent win, PBKS now lead RCB 18–16 in their head-to-head record.

Probable Playing XI's

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB): Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood
Impact Player: Yash Dayal

Punjab Kings (PBKS): Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Josh Inglis (wk), Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh
Impact Player: Yuzvendra Chahal