RCB vs PBKS Qualifier 1: Royal Challengers Bangalore and Punjab Kings lock horns in the Qualifier 1 of IPL 2025 on Thursday, with a place in the final at stake. The two teams, which finished in the top 2 after the league stage, managed to win nine of their 14 games this season so far.
Toss: Rajat Patidar won the toss and chose to bowl first.
RCB vs PBKS Qualifier 1 playing 11
Punjab Kings
Marco Jansen is set to win Qualifier 1. The pacer returned home to prepare for the South Africa vs Australia World Test Championship final, which starts on June 11 in London. Another big blow for PBKS is Yuzvendra Chahal missing out of the playing 11.
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“Would have bowled first as well. If you look at the record here, teams batting first have done well, so I am optimistic. They (the crowd) 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,” captain Shreyas Iyer said at the toss.
Punjab Kings (Playing XI): Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Josh Inglis(w), Shreyas Iyer(c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Kyle Jamieson
Punjab Kings Impact Subs: Vijaykumar Vyshak, Praveen Dubey, Suryansh Shedge, Musheer Khan, Xavier Bartlet.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
RCB skipper Rajat Patidar announced that star pacer Josh Hazlewood will play the Qualifier 1. He replaces Thushara. Tim David is also out of the game after he suffered a hamstring injury in the last game.
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“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,” Patidar said after winning the toss.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Rajat Patidar(c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Impact Subs: Mayank Agarawal, Rasikh Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Tim Seifert, Swapnil Singh.
