IPL 2025, Qualifier 1: Dominant Royal Challengers Bengaluru Crush Punjab Kings to Reach IPL Final After Nine Years

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Mullanpur, May 29: On a sun-drenched evening in Mullanpur, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally shed the burden of years past. After nine long seasons, they are back in the IPL final - and they made it quite emphatically at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, Chandigarh on Thursday (May 29) - with an eight-wicket mauling of Punjab Kings in IPL 2025 Qualifier 1.

Fans anticipated fireworks in the top-of-the-table clash between two of the most consistent sides. What unfolded, however, was a one-sided demolition, with Punjab Kings collapsing like a house of cards and they were done by their own nerves and RCB's ruthlessly precise execution on a track that had a lot to offer the bowlers.

Opting to bowl first, RCB bowlers delivered a clinical performance, bundling out Punjab Kings for just 101 in 14.1 overs - the joint-lowest first-innings total in IPL playoff history. Later, RCB batters overhauled the target within 10 overs and lost just two wickets in the process, pulling off the third fastest 100-plus target chased down in the history of IPL.

Josh Hazlewood (3/21) and Suyash Sharma (3/22) spearheaded the RCB attack, with Yash Dayal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar also impressing early in the powerplay.

Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh - the young guns who lit up PBKS' season - couldn't withstand the intensity of the playoffs. Veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar and young Yash Dayal applied early pressure, while Josh Hazlewood and Suyash Sharma feasted on the wreckage.

Captain Shreyas Iyer's struggles at Mullanpur deepened with another single-digit score. Even a desperate punt with debutant Musheer Khan, introduced as an impact substitute, couldn't change Punjab's fortune.

It wasn't just a batting collapse; it was a mental breakdown under the weight of expectations for the hosts. The shots were rash, strategy absent, and the judgment clouded. The only flicker came from Marcus Stoinis, who scored 26 off 17 balls, but he too couldn't save the evening for Punjab.

RCB's chase was almost symbolic - brisk, fearless, and calculated. Phil Salt's 23-ball half-century was a masterclass in momentum batting. Even Kohli, usually a mainstay, was just a subplot in this tale, falling for 12 in what looked like a farewell from another era.

While the ghosts of poor figures in the playoffs continued to haunt King Kohli, his opening partner Phil Salt ensured the Royal Challengers were on track in the run chase. With Mayank Agarawal, who was promoted to No.3, Salt shared a stand of 54 runs for the second wicket as RCB motored along.

Kohli (12) and Agarawal (19) were the only wickets RCB lost in the process. Captain Rajat Patidar fittingly struck the winning six, signalling a new chapter in RCB's journey - one built not just on firepower but on discipline and self-belief.

Punjab, meanwhile, return to familiar territory - the brink. Their season now hangs in balance as they await the outcome of the Eliminator. But tonight belonged to Bengaluru - not just for the win, but for rewriting their narrative when it mattered the most.