IPL Qualifier 1: Iyer's PBKS brace for trial by fire against Kohli's RCB

TimesofIndia.com in Mullanpur: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) have been perennial underachievers in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). At the start of the season, no one gave them a chance to finish in the top four, but at the end of the league stage, they finished first and second, respectively.On Thursday, the Shreyas Iyer-led PBKS will lock horns against Rajat Patidar's RCB in the first qualifier of IPL 2025.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Shreyas Iyer has an impressive record in the IPL as a captain. He has led three different teams to the IPL playoffs, and on the last two occasions, his teams have reached the finals. In 2020, he led Delhi Capitals to the final, where they lost to Mumbai Indians, and then in 2024, he guided Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third IPL trophy. Will Iyer be lucky the third time again?

Where will the match be decided?Hazlewood vs PBKS openersWith Josh Hazlewood back, fit, and available for the knockouts, RCB have received a major boost.

The PBKS openers Prabhsimran Singh (499 runs) and Priyansh Arya (424 runs) have forged a destructive opening stand. The right-left combo has also worked in their favour. But both the Indian uncapped openers have not been tested enough in the tournament. Their strength lies in being offered width, and the duo latch on to it like freebies. But against Hazlewood, it will be a challenge, as the Australian speedster will test them with good-length deliveries into the stumps.

It will be interesting to see how the youngsters fare.Virat Kohli vs Arshdeep Singh and Marco JansenWith 602 runs, Virat Kohli is the leading run-getter for RCB. And the last time these two teams played at this venue, Kohli's unbeaten 73 guided RCB to a thumping seven-wicket win. But Kohli's Achilles heel over the years has been left-arm seamers. In 99 innings as an opener for RCB, Kohli's strike rate against left-arm quicks is a modest 125.91, and he has been dismissed 17 times.

In Arshdeep Singh and Marco Jansen, PBKS have two quality left-arm quicks, and Shreyas Iyer won't hesitate to have a crack at Kohli with both of them in the powerplay.

Six lustPunjab Kings opener Priyansh Arya likes playing at the new PCA venue in Mullanpur. In the 42 balls he has faced at this venue in this year’s IPL, he has smoked nine sixes and has scored at a strike rate of 245.23.Form guidePBKS: W, L, W, W, WRCB: W, L, NR, W, W

Venue statsA total of nine matches have been played at this venue, with teams batting first winning 5 times and teams chasing emerging victorious on four occasions.

"It feels good that we are in the top 2 and obviously what I have manifested — or we have manifested as a team — right back after the auction. It feels so good that you have manifested something and it is happening. Obviously, we have manifested a lot more than this. Maybe June 3 will be the right time to say that. But, I mean, we have crossed a hurdle and it feels good," PBKS batter Shashank Singh told TimesofIndia.com."It was very important for us to be in the top two. That’s what we had planned for, and having achieved that, it is a big boost for RCB. We have less time before our next match, so we will look to recover quickly, take a nap while travelling. Everyone is in a good frame of mind and recovering well from the last game in Lucknow," said RCB captain Rajat Patidar.