RCB have often reached the playoffs in the past few years, but the last time they finished in the top two was in 2016.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will play against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at Mullanpur. This match will be between two teams that share some history and have the same goal, as both are still trying to win their first ever IPL trophy.
RCB have often reached the playoffs in the past few years, but the last time they finished in the top two was in 2016. In this season, they earned 19 points from 14 matches, with nine wins, four losses, and one match cancelled because of rain, which helped them finish second on the points table.
Their final league match against Lucknow Super Giants was a must win. If RCB had lost that game, they would have finished third and been forced to play in the Eliminator instead of Qualifier 1.
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After helping RCB secure a top-two finish with a crucial knock in Jaipur, Jitesh Sharma gave fans another reason to smile during the post-match presentation in Lucknow. He said, “Hazlewood is fit,” which means the Australian fast bowler will be available for the Qualifier 1 clash against Punjab Kings.
If he is not included in the playing eleven, Nuwan Thushara is a solid backup, having delivered a good performance in the final league match against Lucknow Super Giants with 1 for 26 in 4 overs.
Meanwhile, Tim David is likely to miss the match because he is still not fully fit after suffering a hamstring injury during the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 23.
Probable XII of RCB against PBKS in the Qualifier 1
Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar (likely impact player), Mayank Agarawal, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (c), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma
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