The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 is heating up as Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings are preparing to face off in Qualifier 1 on Thursday in Mullanpur. Both teams have had impressive seasons and are eager to secure a spot in the final, aiming for their maiden IPL title.

PBKS have been a dominant force in the IPL 2025, boasting a strong lineup and a tale of success. Major players include Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh and Shreyas Iyer, who have been in excellent form this season. However, PBKS will be missing the services of Marco Jansen, who has returned to South Africa to prepare for the World Test Championship (WTC) final. Punjab, meanwhile, have shown significant improvement this season, reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

On the other hand, RCB have made their way into the playoffs with gritty performances, and they’ll look to carry that fight into Qualifier 1. Notably, RCB are set to be strengthened by the availability of Josh Hazlewood. But they are likely to miss the batting fireworks of Tim David, who is likely not to be available following a hamstring injury. Now, as both teams aim for their first IPL title, the Qualifier 1 match between both sides will be an intense encounter.

Head to head

Matches - 35

PBKS won - 18

RCB won - 17

PBKS probable XII: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Josh Inglis (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Kyle Jamieson, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal

RCB probable XII: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Mayank Agarwal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Krunal Pandya, Liam Livingstone, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma