PBKS vs RCB Playing 11: Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings will square off against Rajat Patidar-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the qualifier 01 of the IPL 2025 season on May 29 at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Chandigarh.
This is the first time since 2014 that PBKS have made the playoffs. They topped the league stage then and lost to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the final.
Meanwhile, RCB have been regulars in the playoffs in the past few years. But they finished in the top two in 2016. Just like PBKS in 2014, they went on to lose the finals then, to Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The upcoming clash will be contest between sheer strength of uncapped players in Punjab and biggest superstars in Bengaluru.
Both teams have key bowlers coming in after brief injury layoffs. Yuzvendra Chahal missed PBKS last two games with a wrist issues but is expected to be fit for Thursday’s game while RCB is bolstered by Josh Hazlewood’s return after a shoulder injury.
🚨 Toss 🚨@RCBTweets won the toss and elected to bowl against @PunjabKingsIPL in Qualifier 1⃣
Updates ▶ https://t.co/aHIgGazpRc#TATAIPL | #PBKSvRCB | #Qualifier1 | #TheLastMile pic.twitter.com/qsBei0DQqG
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 29, 2025
Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the toss and opted to bowl first. Speaking at the toss, RCB captain Rajat Patidar said, “We will bowl first. Wicket looks very hard, decent covering of grass and will try to maximise the first few overs.”
“Everyone gave more than 100 percent in the last game, Jitesh Salt and Kohli they were tremendous. One change for us. Hazlewood comes in place of Thushara,” concluded Patidar.
Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer said, Would have bowled first as well. If you look at the record here, teams batting first have done well, so I am optimistic.”
“They have been tremendous and you need such kind of vibration when you enter the ground and it gives us a lot of energy as well. The way they (openers) have been showing the fearless approach and the attitude has been brilliant. Marco goes out and Azmatullah comes in for him,” concluded Iyer.
PBKS vs RCB Playing 11
Punjab Kings Playing 11: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Josh Inglis(w), Shreyas Iyer(c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Kyle Jamieson
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Playing 11: Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Rajat Patidar(c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma
