Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) bulldozed their way into the IPL 2025 final with a crushing 8-wicket victory over table-toppers Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Thursday in a one-sided contest in the second qualifier. The match was held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
RCB’s bowlers, led by Josh Hazlewood and Suyash Sharma with three wickets each, dismantled Punjab’s batting lineup, bundling them out for just 101. The chase was clinical, with explosive batting from Philip Salt and captain Rajat Patidar guiding the team home in just 11 overs.
The tone was set early by RCB’s new-ball bowlers. After electing to bowl, the pace trio of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, and Josh Hazlewood applied relentless pressure in the powerplay. PBKS stumbled to 48/4 in the first six overs, with Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, captain Shreyas Iyer, and Josh Inglis all falling cheaply.
Josh Hazlewood, returning from injury, made an immediate impact. He dismissed Shreyas Iyer and Inglis, while Bhuvneshwar and Yash also struck early. “It was a dream start. Everyone did their job to perfection,” said Hazlewood after the match.
Despite Marcus Stoinis’s brief resistance (26 off 17), PBKS never found their footing. Spinner Suyash Sharma’s double-strike in the 9th over—removing Shashank Singh and Musheer Khan—crushed Punjab’s middle-order hopes. He later bowled Stoinis with a peach to finish with figures of 3/17.
Romario Shepherd and Hazlewood wrapped up the tail, with Hazlewood claiming his third wicket by dismissing Azmatullah Omarzai. PBKS were bowled out for a paltry 101 in just 14.1 overs.
In reply, RCB lost Virat Kohli early for 12, undone by a bouncing delivery from Kyle Jamieson that he edged behind. “Virat stood tall to chop the ball away but gave away an edge straight to Josh Inglis behind the stumps,” the report noted. It was the first time in IPL 2025 that Kohli failed to score 40+ in a chase.
But the setback was short-lived. Philip Salt launched a brutal counterattack, reaching his half-century in just 23 balls. Mayank Agarwal added a quick-fire 19 before being trapped LBW by Musheer Khan.
Salt continued his onslaught, and Rajat Patidar applied the finishing touches with a slog-sweep six to seal the deal. “It was one-way traffic from the first over of the first innings, and the batters ensured it stayed the same in the second,” summed up the dominant display.
RCB now move on to Ahmedabad to contest the final of IPL 2025, chasing their elusive maiden title.