Shining at top of the points table, Punjab Kings (PBKS) are ready to host Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in most awaited Qualifier 1st of Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025) on 29th May. Both IPL franchises are heading towards winning their first IPL trophy and at this stage, it is evident that only one of them would ultimately get their years-long dream come true.
As things stand, RCB and PBKS have been relentless, each winning 9 matches, losing 4 out of last 14 fixtures. With second rank in the points table, RCB will enter in Qualifier 1 after winning the last match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). In this consecutive playoff qualification for RCB, the stage is set for the secretly loved IPL franchise to make history for which they will need to secure the ticket for IPL 2025 final after beating Punjab Kings. However, there is a catch because PBKS are also in amazing form, ending the league stage as table topper.
Talking about their journey in IPL 2025, PBKS’s Net Run Rate (NRR) of +0.372 is quite close to that of the RCB’s with NRR of +0.301. In terms of head to head records, PBKS are closely ahead with a gap of 1 victory after winning 18 matches against RCB out 35 clashes, increasing the intensity of the competition. PBKS are coming after defeating another top four team in IPL 2025, Mumbai Indians, by a massive margin of 7 wickets, propelling PBKS to stay confident and find their way to the IPL 2025 final.
Before PBKS vs RCB Qualifier 1 in IPL 2025 kicks off, let’s visit head to head records in IPL with focus on head to head at PCA New Stadium and best players for both teams in IPL 2025.
PBKS vs RCB Head-to-Head in IPL
| Statistic | Punjab | Bengaluru |
|---|---|---|
| Matches Played | 35 | 35 |
| Won | 18 | 17 |
| Lost | 17 | 18 |
| No Result | 0 | 0 |
| Highest Score | 232 | 241 |
| Lowest Score | 88 | 84 |
Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru have had edge-of-the-seat thrillers when they met 35 times in IPL. PBKS are slightly ahead with 18 victories while RCB won the match on 17 occasions. One of the last-over thrillers between PBKS and RCB was played in IPL 2024 at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru where RCB registered a close victory by 4 wickets in last over while following a target of 177. In that match, Virat Kohli delivered a blistering knock of 77 runs off 49 balls, a match winning innigns to haunt PBKS in the next do-or-die match.
PBKS VS RCB Head-to-Head at PCA New Stadium
Punjab Kings have hosted Royal Challengers Bengaluru at PCA New Stadium for only one match. They turned up for a league stage match in IPL 2025 on 20th April, 2025 when RCB ended the match with a 7-wickets victory after having 7 balls remaining to play. A strong partnership between Virat Kohli 73 (54) and Devdutt Padikkal 61 (55) set the tone for a successful chase.
| Matches | PBKS Won | RCB Won | Tie | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
PBKS Records at PCA New Stadium
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Matches Played | 9 |
| Wins | 3 |
| Defeats | 6 |
| Ties | 0 |
| Wins Batting First | 2 |
| Wins Chasing | 1 |
| Highest Total | 221 |
| Lowest Total | 119/8 |
RCB Records at PCA New Stadium
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Matches Played | 1 |
| Wins | 1 |
| Defeats | 0 |
| Ties | 0 |
| Wins Batting First | 0 |
| Wins Chasing | 1 |
| Highest Total | 159/3 |
| Lowest Total | – |
PCA New Stadium Pitch Report For PBKS vs RCB Match
The batting-friendly conditions dominate at PCA New Stadium with the pitch showering runs for batters and giving support to pacers as well. This balanced nature of the pitch at this venue turns the match into a balanced contest. In last four IPL matches at PCA New Stadium, batting first team won the match three times while it was RCB who could win the match after chasing here.
PCA New Stadium IPL Records & Stats
The PCA New Stadium has seen a total of nine matches in IPL since the maiden game at this venue coming in IPL 2024. The pitch at this venue has invited balanced contests giving almost equal opportunities to teams whether they bat first or chase. Out of nine matches, batting first team won 5 times while batting second team acquired victory in 4 games. In the last match at PCA New Stadium, RCB won over PBKS by 7 wickets after following a 158-run target. Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 73 run-knock was a testament to his fame as a chase master.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| City | Mullanpur |
| Country | India |
| First Match | 23/03/2024 |
| Last T20 Match | 20/04/2025 |
| Matches Played | 9 |
| Matches Won Batting First | 5 (55.56%) |
| Matches Won Batting Second | 4 (44.44%) |
| Matches Won Winning Toss | 5 (55.56%) |
| Matches Won Losing Toss | 4 (44.44%) |
| Matches with No Result | 0 (0.00%) |
| Highest Individual Innings | 103 – P Arya (Punjab Kings) – 08/04/2025 vs Chennai Super Kings |
| Best Bowling | 4/28 – Y S Chahal (Punjab Kings) – 15/04/2025 vs Kolkata Knight Riders |
| Highest Team Innings | 219/6 – Punjab Kings – 08/04/2025 vs Chennai Super Kings |
| Lowest Team Innings | 95 – Kolkata Knight Riders – 15/04/2025 vs Punjab Kings |
| Highest Run Chase Achieved | N/A |
| Average Runs per Wicket | 22.55 |
| Average Runs per Over | 8.58 |
| Average Score Batting First | 169.89 |
Key Players from both teams
RCB- X Factors
Royal Challengers Bengaluru are climbing the ladder of success in IPL 2025 with star performers setting up the stage for playoffs. Virat Kohli has woven a gallery of records in this tournament with unmatchable eight match-winning half-centuries. In middle order, Jitesh Sharma sounded explosive with batting brilliance, hitting 85 runs in 33 balls, featuring 6 maximums and 8 fours. Apart from them, RCB’s batting order relies on Romario Shepherd and Tim David who are virtuoso in strokeplaying potential during last few overs. Among all bowlers,
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nuwan Thushara and Krunal Pandya are bringing fiery spells.
PBKS- X Factors
Punjab Kings will re-affirm faith on recent match winners including likes of skipper Shreyas Iyer, Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh. In last match, It was totally worth it to watch Josh Inglis scoring an impressive 73-run innings in 42 balls with three maximums. Down the order, Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh tend to bloom with quick innings that mostly turn out to be a crucial turning point. Among all bowlers, PBKS will give the command to Arshdeep Singh whose spells will decide the match direction. In addition, Marco Jansen will go ahead with his allround performance and Yuzvendra Chahal will set up one more spellbinding over.
