Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be hoping to break their 18-year jinx to lay their hands on their maiden IPL trophy. RCB have been in phenomenal form this season, with contributions coming in from all departments, unlike in any of the previous seasons. But make no mistake, RCB have a tough roadblock to get across in order to reach their 1st IPL title, and it is in the form of Shreyas Iyer’s PBKS.
RCB predicted playing XI vs PBKS
| Position | Player | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Phil Salt | Batter |
| 2. | Virat Kohli | Batter |
| 3. | Mayank Agarwal | Batter |
| 4. | Rajat Patidar (C) | Batter |
| 5. | Jitesh Sharma (WK) | Batter |
| 6. | Liam Livingstone/Tim David | All-rounder |
| 7. | Romario Shepherd | All-rounder |
| 8. | Krunal Pandya | All-rounder |
| 9. | Josh Hazlewood | Bowler |
| 10. | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | Bowler |
| 11. | Yash Dayal | Bowler |
RCB bowlers did astoundingly well in the Qualifier 1 against PBKS in Mullanpur. However, a different contest is on the cards in the final against PBKS, with the clash set to take place in a high-scoring Narendra Modi stadium. RCB are expected to retain the same playing XI for the clash, with all players available.
Hazlewood will play the most important part, spearheading the bowling attack for the team. While Dayal plays second fiddle, it will all come down to Krunal and Suyash to inflict maximum damage in terms of spin.
As far as batting is concerned, the opening duo of Kohli and Salt will be expected to do the heavy lifting. Skipper Rajat Patidar, who did not bat much in the previous game after returning from injury, will also be relied on, should the top-order fail. The rest of the batting order have proven their calibre over IPL 2025 and are expected to succeed.
RCB squad for IPL 2025 final
Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarawal, 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
