The first Qualifier of IPL 2025 between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) is set to take place today, Thursday, May 29, at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, near Chandigarh. The match will begin at 7:30 PM IST, while the toss between captains Shreyas Iyer and Jitesh Sharma will take place at 7:00 PM IST. Both teams will battle it out for a place in the final. PBKS last reached the final in 2014, while RCB’s most recent final appearance came in 2016. Interestingly, both franchises are among the most unfortunate in IPL history, having failed to win a title in the last 18 seasons.
PBKS vs RCB Pitch Report
Only four matches have been played at the Mullanpur Stadium this season, and in three of those, teams managed to cross the 200-run mark. However, this is also the ground where Punjab defended a mere 111 runs against KKR – the lowest successful defence in IPL history. The pitch can be challenging for batters, and dew is expected to play a significant role. Hence, the captain winning the toss is likely to opt for bowling first. Notably, RCB has already defeated Punjab by 7 wickets on this very ground earlier this season.
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Mullanpur Stadium – IPL Stats and Records
- Matches Played: 9
- Matches won batting first: 5 (55.56%)
- Matches won chasing: 4 (44.44%)
- Matches won after winning the toss: 5 (55.56%)
- Matches won after losing the toss: 4 (44.44%)
- Highest Team Score: 219/6
- Lowest Team Score: 95
- Average Runs per Wicket: 22.55
- Average Runs per Over: 8.58
- Average 1st Innings Score: 169.89
PBKS vs RCB – Head-to-Head Record
The rivalry between Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru has always been closely contested. Out of the 35 matches played between the two teams, PBKS holds a slight edge with 18 wins, while RCB has won 17 times. However, RCB has dominated recent encounters, winning 4 of the last 5 matches against Punjab.
