Match prediction for Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Qualifier 1 in Mullanpur.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will collide in Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on May 29. The two teams, eyeing their maiden title, will face off for a spot in the final. Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur will host the contest, with the action set to kick off at 7:30 PM IST.
Check out our analysis for the PBKS vs RCB match with the top betting tips and predictions.
Here are some of the best bets for this Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL 2025 match.
Josh Inglis produced the best knock of his IPL career in the must-win game against Mumbai Indians. He hit 73 off 42 deliveries to take the game away. Inglis has been batting at number three, giving him enough time.
Punjab Kings boast of a destructive top four in Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Josh Inglis, and Shreyas Iyer. It’s a high intent batting unit, and has been in exceptional form. RCB also have an in-form opening pair but PBKS holds the edge.
Virat Kohli’s consistency in the IPL is truly astonishing. He has amassed 602 runs in the ongoing tournament at an average of 60 and strike rate of 148. His eight half centuries in 13 innings is a ridiculous feat.
The pitches in Mullanpur have been pretty balanced this season. Bowlers have had good help here but batters have still managed to score well. The average first innings score at the venue this season stands at 173.
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These two rivals have faced each other in 35 matches in IPL history. Punjab Kings have won 18 of those whereas Royal Challengers Bengaluru have claimed 17. However, RCB lead the last five encounters by 4-1.
Punjab Kings, led by Shreyas Iyer and coached by Ricky Ponting, have had a spectacular IPL 2025 season. They finished the league stage at the top with 19 points and a slightly better net run-rate than RCB. PBKS defeated Mumbai Indians in the previous game for a top-two spot, which awards two chances to reach the final.
It was a clinical performance by Punjab Kings at Jaipur. They restricted MI to 184, with Arshdeep Singh picking 2 for 28. Chasing the target, Priyansh Arya scored 62 off 35 deliveries while Josh Inglis blasted 73 runs in 42 balls.
Punjab will be without Marco Jansen for this crucial contest, with Azmatullah Omarzai likely to come in.
Possible XII: Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Josh Inglis (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Kyle Jamieson, Azmatullah Omarzai, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Vijayakumar Vyshak.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured second place on the IPL 2025 points table after a thrilling victory over Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday. RCB finished the league stage with nine victories and four defeats.
Nuwan Thushara picked 1 for 26 in four overs but the rest of the attack was expensive as they conceded 227. Phil Salt and Virat Kohli provided a great start to the run-chase, with the latter scoring 54 off 30. But it was the stand-in skipper Jitesh Sharma, who stole the show with a scintillating 85 not-out in just 33 balls.
RCB are likely to have Tim David and Josh Hazlewood back for this game. David had a hamstring injury but should recover before this clash. Rajat Patidar, who played as an impact sub in the last two games, should return in full capacity as the captain.
Possible XII: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Mayank Agarwal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal.
Check out the details of where to watch the Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL 2025 match.
The team batting first has won three out of four games played in Mullanpur. Despite the record, expect the teams to look to chase, especially with dew likely to be a factor.
Take a look at the weather forecast, key matchup, and favourites to get a better idea of the match.
As per the forecast, Mullanpur should witness mainly clear weather on Thursday evening. There could be around 52% cloud cover but rain is unlikely to be a threat. The humidity levels are expected to be at around 35%, with wind gusts at up to 20 kmph. As for the temperature, it could range between 28 to 34 degrees Celsius.
Both teams are looking strong and it’s pretty close in the betting market. Punjab Kings are favourites by a narrow margin with a 52% chance of winning this encounter.
Virat Kohli will face a challenge in Harpreet Brar. He has scored 74 runs off 67 deliveries against the left-arm orthodox spinner, and has lost his wicket once.
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