Published: May 29, 2025, 05:38 PM (IST)
Edited: May 29, 2025, 05:43 PM (IST)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) director of cricket Mo Bobat believes that their earlier victory over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Mullanpur will give the team a confidence boost ahead of the crucial Qualifier 1. In the IPL 2025 league stage, RCB and PBKS faced each other twice, with both teams securing one win each.
PBKS won at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, while Rajat Patidar’s side secured a comfortable win in Mullanpur, successfully chasing down a target of 159.
“It feels a little dissatisfying since you can’t really enjoy the win. But that’s the reality of the schedule. The boys put a lot into it in the last game, and the group phase of the competition. But the reality is that know it’s the knockout stages and you got to be ready for that.” Mo Bobat said in a media release
“We are playing Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1, and they are a good side, that’s playing good cricket. So I am really looking forward to the game. The thing that is encouraging for us is that we have played Punjab Kings, at that venue, on that surface and we have had success there, so the team will take confidence from that,” Mo Bobat added
Both RCB and PBKS had strong campaigns in the league stage. PBKS topped the table with nine wins from 14 matches, while RCB also secured nine victories but settled for second place due to a lower net run rate. With neither team having won an IPL title yet, the pressure will be immense. The team that handles the pressure better is likely to come out on top in this high-stakes clash.
RCB probable playing XI: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar, Mayank Agarawal, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (c), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Nuwan Thushara/Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma
PBKS probable playing XI: Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Josh Inglis, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harpreet Brar, Kyle Jamieson, Vijaykumar Vyshak/Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh
