RCB storm into final with Qualifier victory over Punjab
Josh Hazlewood claimed 3-21 to help dismiss the Punjab Kings for a meagre total of 101 in just 14.1 overs before the Royal Challengers Bengaluru stormed into the IPL final with a thumping 8-wicket victory in the IPL Qualifier match at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium in Chandigarh on Thursday.
Virat Kohli (12) was an early casualty during a straightforward run-chase, edging New Zealand seamer Kyle Jamieson to โkeeper Josh Inglis, and Mayank Agarwal departed for 19 but England opener Phil Salt hooked and drove six fours and three sixes in a rasping 56* from just 27 balls to end the non-contest as emphatically as it deserved โ with an astonishing 10 overs to spare.
๐๐๐๐ฉ'๐จ ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐จ๐๐๐ก ๐ ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐จ โค
โ IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 29, 2025
๐ฅ Captain Rajat Patidar fittingly finishes off in style as #RCB are just one step away from the ๐
Updates โถ https://t.co/FhocIrg42l#PBKSvRCB | #Qualifier1 | #TheLastMile | @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/hXhslIqcDZ
Earlier RCBโs new-ball bowler Yash Dayal (4-0-26-2) swung the ball both ways and legspinner Suyash Sharma (3-0-17-3) benefitted from some desperate slogging in support of Hazlewood as RCB romped to their first final since 2016.
It was a disaster for Punjab from the eighth delivery of the innings when Priyansh Arya (7) drove seamer Yash Dayal straight to cover and fellow opener Prabhsimran Singh (18) thin-edged a swipe against veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar to โkeeper Jitesh Sharma.
Captain Shreyas (2) played a similar slog against Aussie veteran Hazlewood with an identical result and Hazlewood accounted for fellow Australian Josh Inglis (4) with a bouncer which was top-edged to long leg.
Punjab tried to counter-attack but Nehal Wadhera (8) inside-edged an expansive drive against Dayal onto his stumps and legspinner Sharma hammered three more nails into the coffin with Shashank Singh (3) bowled by a googly, Musheer Khan (0) trapped lbw and top-scorer Marcus Stoinis (26 from 17 balls) missing yet another slog and losing his leg stump.
Rising to the occasion โจ
โ IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 29, 2025
Suyash Sharma wins the Player of the Match award for his web-spinning spell ๐ธ๏ธ๐
Relive his superb performance โถ๏ธ https://t.co/1SDOOs5TgO#TATAIPL | #PBKSvRCB | #Qualifier1 | #TheLastMile | @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/8fAdYdloQv
The victory was the most one-sided in the 18-year history of IPL playoff matches but Punjab will have their shot at redemption on Sunday when they play the winner of the first Eliminator between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians which takes place on Friday.
PUNJAB KINGS: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Josh Inglis (wkt), Shreyas Iyer (captain), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Kyle Jamieson
ROYAL CHALLENGERS BENGALURU: Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Rajat Patidar (captain), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wkt), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma
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