The Royal Challengers Bengaluru put on a performance for the ages in Qualifier 1, crushing Punjab Kings by eight wickets with a staggering 60 balls to spare—the biggest win by balls remaining in IPL playoff history.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Punjab Kings, IPL 2025 Qualifier 1: Hazlewood, Salt, Suyash Guide RCB To Final After 9 Years
Check the match report from the RCB vs PBKS IPL 2025 Qualifier 1 match here
Chasing a meagre 102, RCB made a mockery of the target, with Phil Salt hammering his fastest IPL fifty off just 23 balls, reigniting memories of his dominant stint with KKR last season. Even though Kyle Jamieson threatened briefly with a fiery over—dismissing Kohli and testing Agarwal—RCB never looked in trouble. Salt remained unfazed, calmly steering the chase with authority and elegance.
But this victory was set up by a ruthless bowling performance. RCB’s pace and spin battery worked in perfect sync after they won the toss and chose to bowl. Josh Hazlewood (3/21), making a comeback, set the tone early by removing key batters Shreyas Iyer and Josh Inglis.
Suyash Sharma (3/17) then ran through the middle order, exploiting PBKS’s reckless strokeplay. Yash Dayal (2/26), Romario Shepherd (1/5), and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/17) also chipped in to ensure Punjab never got going. Only Marcus Stoinis, Prabhsimran Singh and Azmatullah Omarzai reached double digits.
RCB's disciplined execution and Salt’s fearless finishing have now powered them to their fourth IPL final, where they will aim to finally end their title drought. As for Punjab, their first playoff appearance in 11 years ended in heartbreak, undone by a combination of nerves, poor shot selection, and a clinical RCB unit.
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