IPL Final, RCB vs PBKS: 1 night, 2 fates; who ends the 18-year wait?

73 games, thousands of moments, and it all comes down to one night. The IPL 2025 final is here, and for the first time ever, one among Punjab Kings or Royal Challengers Bengaluru will lift their maiden title.

It’s Shreyas Iyer’s composure vs Rajat Patidar’s quiet fire, with the world's largest stadium in Ahmedabad set to be a sea of red.

RCB, playing their first final since 2016, have redefined consistency. They’ve won every away game this season, a feat unmatched, driven by a well-rounded squad where nine different players have bagged Player of the Match awards.

Their batting has roared—ten players have scored fifties, another league-first, while Virat Kohli has stacked 614 runs with a strike rate of 146.5. He’s hit eight fifties, and RCB have won every time he’s passed 50.

Salt and Kohli have been lethal at the top, scoring at 10.36 RPO—the highest for any RCB opening pair in a season.

Their bowling has come alive in the business end. Hazlewood’s comeback has boosted a pace attack that includes Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yash Dayal—combined 47 wickets.

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Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma have kept opposition line-ups quiet through the middle overs.

Punjab, meanwhile, stunned five-time champions Mumbai Indians in the Qualifier. Shreyas Iyer has led with maturity and fire, scoring 603 runs at a strike rate of over 175. Their uncapped core—Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Nehal Wadhera, and Shashank Singh—has combined for 1600+ runs, the most by uncapped batters in a season.

However, their bowling has looked vulnerable—conceding 200+ three times in their last five, with only Arshdeep and Chahal crossing 10 wickets.

Tonight’s battles will be decisive. Arshdeep vs Salt in the powerplay, Kohli’s mastery against Chahal’s craft, and Iyer’s timing vs Hazlewood’s discipline could swing the tide.

One team will script history. One captain will be immortalized. And one fanbase will finally.

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