IPL 2025 | Who will scratch 18-year itch?

Ahmedabad: A fired-up Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be hoping to be fourth time lucky and end 18 years of disappointment, and fair share of ridicule, when they run into an equally determined Punjab Kings in what promises to be a befitting IPL-18 finale here on Tuesday.

Along with Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, who share a record five titles each, and three-time champions Kolkata, the Royal Challengers are one of the most popular teams in the league. The three-time runners-up are one of the heavyweights of the league that is entering the last leg of its teenage years and is set to grow into a fearfully powerful adult.

And the reason why RCB enjoy that elite status despite not having a trophy in their cabinet has been their remarkable consistency. Prior to this season, they’ve reached the playoffs a whopping nine times and competed in three finals (2009, 2011 and 2016), although they’ve ended up on the wrong side on all occasions. Even in terms of fan following, thanks to the presence of Virat Kohli, they are arguably the most followed teams on social media and enjoy great in-stadia attendance even while on the road.

While there’s no question RCB are a top draw in the IPL, even they know true reverence comes only when there are stars on the jersey. That removes any ambiguity. Just ask Lionel Messi who craved for that World Cup with Argentina — which he won in 2022 — despite his accolades with Barcelona. Or even Manchester City after winning the Champions League in 2023 despite dominating English football for the last decade and a half. 

RCB know Tuesday night at the Narendra Modi Stadium is perhaps their greatest chance of lifting that coveted trophy. It’s a season where things have just fallen beautifully into place for them. Unlike in the past where they’ve often relied on Kohli or a couple of other superstars to do all the lifting, this season has been a complete team effort. 

Yes, Kohli has been a runaway star with the bat in hammering 614 runs, but Phil Salt (387) and Rajat Patidar (286) have shared the responsibilities with the former skipper. Players like Jitesh Sharma (237), Krunal Pandya (105), Tim David (187) and Romario Shepherd too have put their hands up when the occasions have demanded.

Even on the bowling front, it has been a complete team effort so far. Josh Hazlewood has led the attack with 21 scalps, but he has found able allies in Yash Dayal (12), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (15), Krunal (15) and Suyash Sharma (8). The problem, though, is that Punjab Kings are equally hungry to get a taste of the elusive title. Punjab too have been part of the league since its inception in 2008. However, just like how RCB reshuffled the set-up, they too hired Ricky Ponting as the head coach and got Shreyas Iyer as the skipper. Ponting was at the helm in piecing together a young and talented bunch, and Iyer has given wings to those ambitious turks with his inspiring captaincy, something he did in powering KKR to a title triumph last season. That grit and fire was visible in Qualifier 2 on Sunday night, where he anchored a tense chase to perfection, taking Punjab to their first final since 2014.

A new name will be inscribed on the trophy on Tuesday and two equally desperate and determined teams will be vying for it. A well-rested RCB will be confident of landing another sucker punch on PBKS, but Ponting’s wards will be banking on the Iyer fire to join the league of champions.

Arshdeep Singh

Josh Hazlewood

PUNJAB KINGS

Strengths It has undoubtedly been the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer and their audacious batting. Iyer may be going through a lot on the national front after being ignored for the England Test series but there’s no doubt the 30-year-old is one of the sharpest minds and players of this generation. Be it leading from the front with the bat marshalling his troops and making the right bowling changes he’s barely put a foot wrong. His comrades like Prabhsimran Singh (523) Priyansh Arya (451) Nehal Wadhera (354) Shashank Singh (289) and Josh Inglis (239) have responded superbly with the bat. If the two forces click on Tuesday night it could be the culmination of a great journey. Weaknesses A big worry for Punjab has been their bowling which has taken a beating following the release of Marco Jansen for national duty. Arshdeep Singh (18) has had to plough a lone furrow and if the left-armer ends up having a bad day in the office then Punjab could be in for a leather hunt. Ace spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (15) nursing a wrist injury played in Qualifier 2 after missing Qualifier 1 and while he should turn up for the all-important final despite being in pain him not being 100 percent is a cause of concern.

Weather/pitch

The forecast is another scorching summer day in Ahmedabad but there could be a spell of rain in the afternoon. The pitch has been batters’ paradise with teams surpassing 200 a whopping 11 times in 8 matches. So expect a similar surface on Tuesday.

ROYAL CHALLENGERS BENGALURU

Strengths Royal Challengers have just about ticked all the boxes this season. Their talisman Virat Kohli (614) has been batting like a dream while opening partner Phil Salt (387) has given him good support consistently. Skipper Rajat Patidar (286) has rediscovered his touch following a brief lull while Jitesh Sharma (237) Tim David (187) and Krunal Pandya (105) have chipped in at various stages to bail RCB out when in trouble. The return of Josh Hazlewood (21 wickets) from a shoulder injury has also bolstered their bowling attack with spinner Suyash Sharma (8) making a quiet statement of his own. Weaknesses There’s no doubt RCB are the ones who will be facing the bulk of the pressure as compared to Punjab Kings. The pressures of a final are indescribable and this has only increased manifold considering RCB have lost three title clashes. The expectations from their vast legion of fans and the buzz is that a majority of them are trying to pack into the gigantic Narendra Modi Stadium. In terms of batting and bowling they have all the bases covered and have proven match winners but how they cope with the weight of expectations remains to be seen.