IPL 2025: Royal Challengers Bengaluru Seal Spot in Final After Thrashing Punjab Kings by 8 Wickets in Qualifier 1

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru are through to the IPL 2025 finals, having registered a dominant eight-wicket victory over the Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 at Chandigarh on Thursday (May 29). [PBKS v RCB HIGHLIGHTS]

Chasing 102 to win, RCB accomplished the run chase with ease. Phil Salt scored a half-century and was ably supported by knocks from Virat Kohli and Mayank Agarwal although the small target always meant they were the favourites.

The dominant win will give the Rajat-Patidar led side plenty of confidence heading into what is their fourth IPL final after 2009, 2011 and 2016. RCB have never won the IPL, but this looks like easily their best opportunity yet. 

Bengaluru Bowlers Come to the Party

Rajat Patidar opting to bowl was always a given since teams almost always prefer chasing in T20s but RCB made it an extremely easy task for their batters.

Yash Dayal got rid of Priyansh Arya (7) before Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed Prabhsimran Singh (18) and Josh Hazlewood got rid of both Shreyas Iyer (2) and Josh Inglis (4).

Dayal then dismissed Nehal Wadhera for 8 before Suyash Sharma struck twice in the same over to get rid of Shashank Singh (3) and emergency Impact Player Musheer Khan (0).

Even Romario Shepherd, a part-time bowler at best, got in among the wickets as he bowled Harpreet Brar for just 4.  

ALSO READ | Prabhsimran Singh Becomes Second Punjab Kings Batter After Shaun Marsh to Notch Up A Unique Record

Punjab Batting Suffers Big Collapse

PBKS would have preferred to be the team chasing but Shreyas Iyer lost the toss and they were duly put in too bat first.

The advantage of bowling first is it also allows the team to feel out the conditions, and that is something that benefitted RCB in a huge way.

The pitch was not an easy one to bat on and PBKS went from 9-1 to 27-2 and then to 30-3 by the end of the fourth over.

A rebuild was needed at that point but Punjab's batters continued to go hard and before they realised it, they were 60-7 in the 9th over.

ALSO READ | Virat Kohli Gives Prabhsimran Singh a Fiery Send-off After PBKS Batter is Dismissed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Marcus Stoinis (26) and Azmatullah Omarzai (18) managed to take them past the 100-run mark but only just - their innings was wrapped up for 101 in 14.1 overs, and even though only half the match was done, even Punjab's fans knew it was game over already.

PBKS will take on the winner of the Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians Eliminator on June 1 (Sunday).