Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) teams would like to maintain the momentum of their excellent performance in the group stage in Qualifier-1 as well. Although the teams in the top two in the points table get two chances to reach the final, both Punjab and RCB will be eyeing a direct place in the title match. Punjab finished first and RCB second in the group stage.
Punjab has reached the playoffs after 11 years.
Punjab Kings have made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2014. The credit for this goes to the duo of Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting who changed the culture of the team and gave it a new look. On the other hand, RCB had to face defeat many times in the knockout stage and this time it is hoping to end the title drought. In their own words, the work is only half done for both the title contenders.
Will Chahal be able to make a comeback?
The opening pair of Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya have set the stage for the likes of Iyer and Josh Inglis. Finisher Shashank Singh has constantly improved his game while Australian player Marcus Stoinis has made the batting even stronger by discovering his potential with the bat. The area of concern for Punjab is the bowling department, especially after the departure of South African fast bowler Marco Jansen, who has returned home to play for the national team. Jansen bowled crucial overs in the powerplay and death overs and the team will miss him. Kyle Jamieson has raised some hopes in his first match, but he will have to bowl better to make an impact. All-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai can also replace Jansen. Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal missed the last two matches due to a finger injury. He is expected to return in this important match and form a strong pair with Harpreet Brar, who always bowls accurately. RCB will have hope from Kohli
RCB also had concerns about the injury of some players in the final stages of the tournament but that has been largely overcome. Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is expected to be fully fit and Tim David will also be available for selection, which will bring more balance to the team. RCB has been dependent on their top-order batsmen for the past several years, but it seems that is changing after players like Jitesh Sharma have shown their ability in the middle order. Jitesh played the best innings of his IPL career on Tuesday night and his confidence will be sky-high before going into the playoffs. From the team's point of view, it will be important that Phil Salt bats at his best explosively in the powerplay and Virat Kohli continues to bat the way he has been doing throughout the season.
Ankita Murder Case: People's anger was visible during the verdict, barricades were broken, and police dispersed them by spraying water
Given the verdict in the Ankita Bhandari murder case in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, the district police and administration had made strong security arrangements by barricading every road around the court.
Amaal Malik plays another 'game' with Tanya Mittal, a new twist on the sweater in 'Bigg Boss 19'
Every day, the reality show Bigg Boss 19 sees a new drama unfold. Sometimes it's a fight over household chores, sometimes it's a debate about relationship complexities, but this time things are a
'Trump sacrificed India-US relations for business in Pakistan', a big claim by the former NSA
Former US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan has made a sensational allegation against President Donald Trump. Sullivan says that Trump put at stake decades-old relations with a big
Delhi Government 100 Days: Delhi BJP's '100 days of service' program, Anupam Kher discussed with Rekha Gupta
On completion of 100 days of BJP-led Delhi government, the '100 Din Seva Ke' program has been organized. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta participated in the program organized at Jawaharlal Nehru
'Terrorists are Muslims...', Aamir Khan gave a big statement on the Pahalgam attack, and told the reason for his silence.
On 22 April 2025, there was a terrorist attack in Pahalgam in which about 26 people were killed. According to reports, the terrorists killed the victims after asking about their religion. This
Uttarkashi Cloud Burst: The reason behind the devastation has come to light; this is why the debris, along with water, came down rapidly, not once but twice
Due to the rising water level in Kheer Ganga in Dharali of Uttarkashi, the market and surrounding areas were damaged. There, due to the low catchment area of the river and the steep slope, the water
‘Kannada language originated from Tamil…’, Kamal Hassan’s controversial statement created a ruckus in Karnataka
South cinema's veteran actor Kamal Haasan has once again come under controversy. Some time ago, he was criticized for the romantic scene with Trisha Krishnan in his film 'Thug Life'.
'What else do we have to do now?...', R Ashwin burst out in anger; he took the selector to task for the decision to drop Yashasvi Jaiswal
BCCI selection committee chief Ajit Agarkar announced the Indian team for the Asia Cup 2025, but this team selection raised many questions. The most shocking decision was to drop young opening batsman
Historical moment! Vande Bharat Express left for Kashmir, PM Modi flagged it off; 130-year-old dream comes true.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off Vande Bharat from Katra railway station to Srinagar. In this way, now Kashmir is connected to Kanyakumari by rail. PM Modi earlier inaugurated the Chenab
Saw an airshow in childhood, and fell in love with the speed and sound of the plane; Know how Shubhanshu Shukla made his dream come true
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, left for space aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. He became the first Indian to reach the International Space Station.
