IPL 2025 Final: RCB and PBKS Set for a Historic Showdown as a New Champion Awaits

A new name will be forever remembered in IPL history as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) prepare to meet in the IPL 2025 final on Tuesday, 3rd June at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Both franchises play their 90th match of the season, searching for this elusive first title; the crescendo of high stakes and possible drama will bring the season to an emotional end.

This year's final is rare in IPL history, as neither team has lifted the IPL Trophy. It's an all too familiar path for RCB, but a path they have never taken till completion. They were runners-up three times, in 2009, 2011, and 2016, losing to Deccan Chargers, Chennai Super Kings, and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Eighteen seasons later, RCB are chomping at the bit to win the IPL Trophy.

Punjab Kings, too, are chasing redemption. Their only previous final appearance came in 2014, back when they were known as Kings XI Punjab. They lost that match to Kolkata Knight Riders, a side captained last season by their current leader, Shreyas Iyer. In a remarkable individual achievement, Iyer now becomes the first player in IPL history to lead three different teams into the final—Delhi Capitals in 2020, KKR in 2024 (a victorious campaign), and now PBKS.

Both teams were dominant in the league stage, finishing at the top of the table with identical records: nine wins, four losses, and one no-result from their 14 matches. PBKS edged ahead slightly on net run rate to finish first. The head-to-head encounters in the league stage were evenly split—PBKS triumphed in Bengaluru, while RCB took revenge in Mullanpur.

In Qualifier 1, the two teams played again to a bang when RCB rolled out PBKS for 101 runs, then chased it down with 10 overs remaining. However, PBKS came back in Qualifier 2 by defeating the Mumbai Indians, who are 5 time champions, to advance to the final.

With excitement growing ahead of Tuesday's clash, supporters are sure to have a new name on the trophy and a long-overdue party for one of the most dedicated fanbases in IPL. RCB will either get rid of years of misery or PBKS will get a new opportunity for glory under Iyer's guidance. But IPL 2025 will certainly end on a landmark moment for Indian cricket.