PBKS vs RCB Match Prediction: Who will win today's IPL 2025 Qualifier 1 match?

For the Punjab Kings (PBKS) and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), something that has eluded them for so long is now so close. A spot in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) final is within touching distance, and both teams will be keen on getting there without putting themselves at risk of elimination.

Interestingly, Punjab will now have a home game in Qualifier 1, with the revised schedule turning to Mullanpur to hose the clash. Bengaluru, though, have been the best team in IPL 2025 on the road, with seven wins out of seven in the league stage. Both teams are in red-hot form, making for an epic clash.

The Kings will be without Marco Jansen, who has left the IPL to prepare for the final of the World Test Championship. The Royal Challengers will not be able to call upon the services of Jacob Bethell and Lungi Ngidi, who have been replaced by Tim Seifert and Blessing Muzarabani in the squad. However, RCB were never going to field the two overseas pros in their first-choice XI.

In a welcome sign for Bengaluru, Josh Hazlewood is expected to be fit for the PBKS clash. Although stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma indicated that Tim David is on the path to recovery as well, reports suggest that the big Aussie finisher might not recover in time.

For the hosts, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal could make a return from a wrist injury that has kept him out of the last two matches. Azmatullah Omarzai is expected to replace Jansen, who will be a big loss with both bat and ball.

PBKS' squad for IPL 2025: Shreyas Iyer, Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Harnoor Singh Pannu, Priyansh Arya, Pyla Avinash, Josh Inglis, Vishnu Vinod, Prabhsimran Singh, Mitchell Owen, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Azmatullah Omarzai, Aaron Hardie, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Yuzvendra Chahal, Pravin Dubey, Arshdeep Singh, Kyle Jamieson, Yash Thakur, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Kuldeep Sen, Xavier Bartlett.

RCB's squad for IPL 2025: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Tim David, Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Agarwal, Swastik Chikara, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Krunal Pandya, Swapnil Singh, Romario Shepherd, Tim Seifert, Mohit Rathee, Suyash Sharma, Abhinandan Singh, Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Rasikh Salam, Nuwan Thushara, Blessing Muzarabani.

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IPL 2025: RCB and PBKS look to enter unchartered waters

2025 IPL - Rajasthan Royals v Punjab Kings - Source: Getty

Jansen's loss could prove tough to contend with for PBKS. The fact that the match is happening at Mullanpur might not be the best sign either, with captain Shreyas Iyer having a poor record at the venue and the Punjab bowling not having enough wicket-taking threat at all stages of the innings.

RCB, meanwhile, are firing on all cylinders. Almost all of their players have chipped in with match-winning displays, and Hazlewood's presence will be a massive boost despite Nuwan Thushara's impressive display on his IPL 2025 debut recently.

There are a couple of concerns in the visitors' camp. Liam Livingstone hasn't been anywhere close to his best, while Suyash Sharma has lost his way a touch in the last few matches. Captain Rajat Patidar, dealing with a troublesome hand injury, hasn't had a prolific campaign with the bat.

However, despite all those concerns, the Royal Challengers have more bases covered. Momentum is on their side, and spirits in the camp are invariably bound to high. Luck has been with them as well.

A high-profile clash between two world-class T20 teams can always go both ways, but RCB should be the slight favorites for this one.

Prediction: RCB to win Qualifier 1 of IPL 2025.