They’ve had similar seasons on paper - both lost to Delhi and Hyderabad, whilst sitting through frustrating washouts against Kolkata. After sharing one head-to-head win each, they finished on 19 points with similar Net Run Rates, and yet their seasons feel quite different.
Punjab Kings are the form side going into the playoffs. They bat deep, they have variety in their pace attack, and are led by last year’s title-winning side. This is their first playoffs since 2014 - when they made the final after losing Qualifier 1. They can count on home support in Mullanpur for this game.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have had fewer dominant wins, though their squad has performed as a unit. The majority of their wins have been dramatic, coming from behind. They’ll need to channel that spirit in the playoffs. Mostly, they’ll be glad to have the double chance after four Eliminators in five years.
Why Punjab can win
The PBKS batting juggernaut has been the key to success. This is a side that is able to play Marcus Stoinis at seven - someone who scored a hundred from number three last year. They have achieved this on the back of a strong uncapped Indian core. Priyansh Arya is arguably the find of the season, and Prabhsimran Singh has improved on two solid seasons. Down the order, Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh have been extremely impactful.
Amidst the young guns, Shreyas Iyer has flourished. This is the third franchise he has taken to the playoffs, after Delhi (2019 and 2020) and Kolkata (2024). The PBKS model means they are built to score big more often than not. It makes up for some bowling weaknesses.
Marco Jansen’s absence will be a problem to solve. They can replace him with Xavier Bartlett, which will weaken the batting. Or they can go back to Azmatullah Omarzai, though that weakens the bowling. Kyle Jamieson’s first game of the season saw him go at 10.50. Vijaykumar Vyshak took two wickets but was expensive, and shouldn’t be considered a four-over bowler yet.
Two of their losses came in Mullanpur. They struggled to chase down 206 vs Rajasthan, and then stuttered to post 157 vs RCB. Between those games, their biggest batting failure was against Kolkata, a game they still won. However, their relative struggles in Mullanpur will be noted by the opposition. They will have to adjust after playing three back-to-back games on the larger ground in Jaipur.
Why Bengaluru can win
RCB weren’t in the game for large parts against Lucknow, yet they found a way of getting the win. That has been the pattern throughout the tournament, where different players have stood up at different times to get the job done. This is a squad where back-up players have come into the squad and performed immediately.
The two day gap to this game might be a slight disadvantage, though RCB have found ways of overcoming such problems this year. They’ll have a couple of selection decisions to make. Josh Hazlewood is fit and ready to play. Nuwan Thushara was their best bowler against Lucknow. Can RCB find a way of playing both, dropping the struggling Liam Livingstone?
At any rate, Livingstone’s place is tied to the fitness of Tim David. He might be touch and go for the first playoff, and might not be risked so soon. RCB have the option of Tim Seifert as well. However, the Englishman’s spin might be of use in Mullanpur, depending on conditions.
The batting has fired throughout the tournament. Most encouragingly, Mayank Agarwal and Jitesh Sharma were the protagonists of the chase. RCB would love some runs from regular captain Rajat Patidar, though he looked good in his brief knock. The batting consistency might convince RCB to weigh the benefits and play two overseas quicks. It would ease the pressure on a bowling attack struggling to regain rhythm.
Venue and conditions
Mullanpur has hosted four games this season. The first two saw 200+ scores in the first innings be defended. The third was the memorable low-scorer between KKR and PBKS. The fourth saw RCB chase down 158 with seven balls to spare.
They have not hosted a game since 20th April, so the nature of the pitch remains to be seen. It would be surprising if it was a low-scoring one. The weather should be good.
Match stats
• Punjab recorded the highest opening partnership of only five games this season.
• RCB have had ten different half-centurions this season, a new record, overtaking MI in 2017. In addition, all ten bowlers used have taken at least one wicket.
• Punjab Kings have never had two 500+ run scorers in the same season. This year, Shreyas Iyer has 514, with Prabhsimran Singh on 499 and Priyansh Arya on 424.
• Seven of Punjab Kings' batters have scored at least 100 runs this season at 30-plus averages and 149-plus strike rates.
• Virat Kohli has hit eight 50+ scores this season, all in wins. That is a new record, overtaking the previous best of seven (Kohli and Warner in 2016, and Gill in 2023).
• Virat Kohli also reached 600 runs for the season, his fifth time, a new record overtaking KL Rahul’s four.
• Phil Salt vs Arshdeep Singh in 2025: 28 runs off 32 balls, five dismissals.