Punjab Kings will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2025. The match will be held at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. The winner of this match will directly advance to the final, while the losing team will face the winner of the Eliminator match between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans. The team that wins that contest will become the second finalist.
What to Expect from the Pitch in Mullanpur?
The pitch at Mullanpur has shown mixed behavior this season. Of the four matches played here, two were high-scoring and two were low-scoring. Notably, Punjab Kings defended a total of just 111 runs against KKR on this ground. For the Qualifier, a fresh pitch with good bounce is expected, as no matches have been played here since April 20. This could result in a high-scoring encounter.
RCB Defeated Punjab on This Ground
RCB and Punjab Kings have previously clashed at this venue, where RCB secured a comfortable 7-wicket win. Punjab struggled against RCB’s spin attack, with Suyash Sharma and Krunal Pandya picking up 2 wickets each and restricting them to just 157 runs. Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal then guided RCB to victory with solid half-centuries.
Night Matches Have Favoured the Team Batting First
So far, four matches have been played at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Stadium this season. Three of them were held at night, and in all three, the team batting first won. Rajasthan defeated Punjab while batting first, Punjab beat Chennai Super Kings defending a total, and again, Punjab successfully defended a score against KKR. Only RCB won a match by chasing, and that game was played in the evening.
Also Read- PBKS vs RCB Qualifier 1- What Will Happen If Rain Washes Out the Match?
Availability of International Players
All-rounder Marco Jansen will miss the entire playoffs due to international commitments — a big blow for his team. Key pacer Lockie Ferguson is already out with injury and was replaced by Kyle Jamieson, who hasn’t lived up to expectations. Spinner Yuzvendra Chahal also missed the last two matches due to injury, and it’s still unclear whether he will be available for the Qualifier.
RCB is also facing injury concerns. Finisher Tim David missed the final group-stage match due to a hamstring injury. Lungi Ngidi has returned home, but Phil Salt is available for the playoffs after being dropped from the England squad. Josh Hazlewood might also return to action in this match. Skipper Rajat Patidar, who was playing only as an impact player due to injury, is also expected to make a full return.