The Indian Premier League will get a new champion this season. On Tuesday, Punjab Kings (PBKS) will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the final at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. So far, neither team has won the title.
Consistent Performers Reach the Final
To begin with, Punjab Kings finished the league stage at the top of the table. Meanwhile, RCB came in second. Both sides have shown consistent performances throughout the season.
Until now, seven teams have lifted the IPL trophy. Among them, one—Deccan Chargers—is now defunct. Additionally, two—Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans—weren’t part of the original 2008 lineup.
However, RCB has never won despite reaching the final three times (2009, 2011, 2016). On the other hand, Punjab last entered the final in 2014 but lost to Kolkata Knight Riders.
Neck-and-Neck Rivalry
So far, RCB and PBKS have played each other 36 times. Interestingly, both teams have won 18 matches each. In Qualifier 1, RCB defeated Punjab by eight wickets. Philip Salt played a vital role with a 56-run knock.
After that, Punjab bounced back strongly. They defeated Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 by five wickets. Shreyas Iyer led from the front with a match-winning 87.
Punjab Finds Form Under New Leadership
Under head coach Ricky Ponting and captain Shreyas Iyer, Punjab has transformed into a powerful side. They ended the group stage with 19 points and nine wins.
Notably, Shreyas Iyer has led with the bat. He scored 603 runs in 16 innings, hitting six fifties. His average stands at an impressive 54.81. Furthermore, Arshdeep Singh delivered with the ball. He picked up 18 wickets in 15 matches, maintaining an average of 8.79 and an economy rate of 18.11.
Kohli and Hazlewood Shine for RCB
On the RCB side, Virat Kohli dominated with the bat. He scored 614 runs in 14 innings, with eight fifties and an average of 55.81.
Moreover, Josh Hazlewood led their bowling attack. He took 21 wickets in 11 games, averaging 15.80 with an economy of 8.30.
Memorable Clashes Between the Two
Looking back, Punjab’s biggest win over RCB came in 2011. Adam Gilchrist smashed 106, while Shaun Marsh added an unbeaten 79. PBKS posted 232/2 and bowled out RCB for 121, winning by 111 runs.
In contrast, RCB’s most dominant win came in 2015. Chris Gayle hammered a 57-ball 117. RCB scored 226/3 and bundled out Punjab for just 88. They won by a huge margin of 138 runs.
Streaks That Defined the Rivalry
Between 2012 and 2014, Punjab defeated RCB five times in a row. Meanwhile, RCB enjoyed a four-match winning streak between 2018 and 2019. They also had another four-match streak back in 2008–2009.
Squads
Punjab Kings: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Josh Inglis (w), Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Harpreet Brar, Kyle Jamieson, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yuzvendra Chahal, Suryansh Shedge, Musheer Khan, Xavier Bartlett, Praveen Dubey, Azmatullah Omarzai, Vishnu Vinod, Yash Thakur, Aaron Hardie, Kuldeep Sen, Mitchell Owen, Harnoor Singh, Pyla Avinash
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarwal, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (w), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Nuwan Thushara, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Tim Seifert, Rasikh Dar Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Swapnil Singh, Blessing Muzarabani, Tim David, Mohit Rathee, Swastik Chikara, Abhinandan Singh
