Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) stormed into the final of IPL 2025 by crushing Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 8 wickets with 60 balls to spare in Qualifier 1. It was the 71st match of the IPL 2025 season. The game took place at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Punjab.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal and Suyash Sharma dismantled the Punjab Kings’ batting line-up and bowled them out for just 101 in 14.1 overs. While chasing, Virat Kohli and Phil Salt gave RCB a flying start. Although RCB lost a few wickets, a blazing half-century by Phil Salt helped them seal the win.
With this victory, RCB booked their spot in the final, while Punjab Kings will face the winner of Eliminator 1 in Qualifier 2 on June 1.
Early Breakthroughs for RCB
Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the toss and chose to bowl. Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh opened the innings for Punjab Kings. Bhuvneshwar Kumar started with the ball. Arya opened his account with a double and followed it with a boundary. Punjab got a steady start, scoring 8 runs in the first over.
Yash Dayal bowled the second over. He dismissed Priyansh Arya on the second ball. Arya managed 7 runs from 5 balls. Josh Inglis joined Prabhsimran at the crease. Prabhsimran ended the over with a six. After two overs, PBKS stood at 18/1.
In the third over, Bhuvneshwar Kumar got rid of Prabhsimran, who had hit two boundaries earlier. He scored 18 off 10 balls. PBKS dropped to 27/2.
Punjab Collapses Further
Shreyas Iyer walked in next. Josh Hazlewood struck in the fourth over and dismissed Iyer for just 2. Nehal Wadhera came in and got off the mark with a single. PBKS moved to 31/3.
In the fifth over, Dayal bowled a no-ball. Wadhera hit a boundary but PBKS added only 7 runs. Hazlewood bowled the sixth over and sent Josh Inglis back for 4. Marcus Stoinis came in and hit a four and a six. PBKS reached 48/4 after the powerplay.
PBKS Continue to Tumble
Dayal bowled the seventh over. Wadhera completed a double to bring up 50 for PBKS. However, he lost his wicket next ball after scoring 8. Shashank Singh came next and got off the mark with a double. PBKS struggled at 52/5.
Hazlewood returned for the eighth over. Stoinis hit a boundary, but only 7 runs came. Suyash Sharma bowled the ninth over and removed Shashank Singh for 3. Musheer Khan came in as an impact sub but fell to Suyash for a duck. PBKS slumped to 61/7.
Stoinis Fights, But RCB Dominate
Krunal Pandya bowled the 10th over. Stoinis struck a six, moving PBKS to 71/7 at the halfway mark. Stoinis was on 26 off 15, while Omarzai had 2 off 3.
Suyash bowled the 11th over and dismissed Stoinis for 26. Harpreet Brar walked in. Dayal delivered a tight 12th over, conceding just 5 runs. Suyash bowled the 13th over. Omarzai smashed a six, taking PBKS to 92/8.
PBKS All Out for 101
Romario Shepherd bowled the 14th over. Omarzai hit a four, but Brar fell for 4. Jamieson came in last. Four leg byes helped PBKS reach 100. Hazlewood ended the innings in the 15th over by removing Omarzai for 18. PBKS were bowled out for 101 in 14.1 overs.
RCB Start Chase Aggressively
Chasing 102, Phil Salt and Virat Kohli opened for RCB. Arshdeep Singh bowled the first over. Kohli smashed a four. RCB collected 11 runs. Jamieson bowled the second over and conceded 6 runs. In the third over, Salt struck a four and a six. RCB reached 30/0.
RCB Lose Kohli, But Salt Takes Charge
Jamieson bowled a brilliant fourth over. He dismissed Kohli for 12 and bowled a maiden. Mayank Agarwal joined Salt. Omarzai bowled the fifth over. Salt cracked two boundaries. RCB were at 46/1.
In the sixth over, Jamieson returned. Mayank hit a four, and Salt followed with two fours and a six. RCB moved to 61/1. Salt was on fire with 40 off 18 balls.
Salt Seals the Victory
Harpreet Brar bowled the seventh over. Salt cleared the boundary for a six. Musheer Khan came on for the eighth over. Mayank hit a six and a four. He then got out for 19. Rajat Patidar came in next.
In the ninth over, Brar gave only 7 runs. Salt reached his fifty in the 10th over with a single. He took just 23 balls to get there. He hit a six on the last ball to seal the win.
RCB chased down the target in just 10 overs. They finished at 106/2. With this commanding win, RCB advanced to the final of IPL 2025.
Brief Scorecard
The lethal bowling of Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal and Suyash Sharma bundled out Punjab Kings for just 101 runs in 14.1 overs. Marcus Stoinis, Prabhsimran Singh, and Azmatullah Omarzai contributed more than half of the team’s total.
While chasing, Virat Kohli and Phil Salt gave RCB a flying start. Despite losing a few wickets, a blazing half-century by Salt helped RCB comfortably reach the target.
RCB looked dominant in today’s match, which strengthens their chances of winning the title. On the other hand, Punjab Kings appeared completely out of form. They need to regroup quickly before Qualifier 2. Stay tuned with JUSZNEWS for regular updates!