RCB have made it to the Qualifier 1 round on the back of a breathtaking cameo from stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma, who scored a quickfire 85* to pull off a miraculous win for his side. Now they find themselves one step away from the top summit. PBKS, on the other hand, have been in a league of their own. They secured their spot in the top two by hammering MI in their last league game by a margin of six wickets, thanks to counter-attacking innings from Inglis (73 off 42) and Arya (62 off 35).

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The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur gears up to stage an exciting showdown between RCB and PBKS. It will be the third fixture between the two sides this season. Spotlight will be on Kohli and Salt, who have been the leading run scorers for the franchise this season. The world will also be keenly observing Shreyas Iyer and the strategies he deploys to neutralize the threat from some of RCB's big guns.

However, both teams are without a title, and there is a growing possibility that the drought for either of the two teams might end this season. While both teams look pretty evenly poised on paper, does RCB have a slim edge over Punjab Kings? Read on as we attempt to dissect that possibility in the article. 

Head-to-head comparison 

Both PBKS and RCB have clashed on 33 occasions, out of which PBKS have triumphed on 17 occasions, whereas RCB have won the remaining 16. Historically speaking, PBKS holds a slight edge over its rival, but in recent times, RCB have had the better of them on a number of occasions.  In their past five meetings since 2023, RCB have emerged victorious in four while PBKS have managed to register a solitary victory. 

PBKS's poor run against RCB ended momentarily this season when the two sides met each other for the first time. In a rain-marred affair, RCB batting capitulated in a shambolic manner, but David's fighting 50* (26) ensured RCB have something to defend. A target of 96 was never going to be enough, and the score was effortlessly chased down by Punjab Kings by a margin of five wickets. However, RCB avenged the defeat in the next meeting. Kohli and Paddikal fired blazing fifties as the PBKS failed to offer any resistance and allowed RCB to chase down 157 with seven wickets in hand. 

While both teams have exchanged firing shots at each other, we can expect the Qualifier 1 match to be an evenly contested match on paper. In such a scenario, predicting an obvious winner becomes hard to predict. However, should RCB end up on the losing side, they will have another opportunity to reach the top summit through Qualifier 2.

Participation of Chahal and Hazlewood 

Another factor that can have a tremendous bearing on the outcome of today's Qualifier fixture is the inclusion of Yuzi Chahal and Hazlewood for PBKS and RCB, respectively. Both players missed out on a handful of league games after succumbing to injuries. Chahal is the seniormost player in the PBKS squad and one of the most experienced wrist spinners in the IPL, with over 200 scalps averaging around 22.63. While the absence of Chahal did not impact PBKS much, the omission of Hazlewood certainly hurt RCB big time.

Once Hazlewood was ruled out due to a back injury, RCB's death bowling was horribly exposed, with bowlers conceding runs at over 11 RPO. Hazlewood is a very uncanny operator and relies on deceptive pace-off deliveries to quell the batsmen in the death. Moreover, the world is also aware of his exploits with the new ball as well. RCB will get a much-needed boost ahead of today's fixture as Hazlewood is expected to return after a shoulder rehab. Chahal, too, will have a go and is expected to be fully fit for the mega Qualifier tonight. 

Conclusion

PBKS looks like a much-improved team this season. But they have only featured in a solitary one-off final back in 2014, where they bowed down to KKR in an intense run chase. RCB, on the other hand, have been more accomplished in this regard, making it to three finals but losing all three of them. Although RCB have been one of the most competitive sides this season, the franchise has shown signs of vulnerability on a few occasions. In the absence of Hazlewood, their bowlers have gone for runs in the death overs, however, this issue is likely to be put to rest after his return.   

Further on, a couple of games ago, RCB suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of SRH while chasing a stiff target of 232. The RCB batting disintegrated rapidly under scoreboard pressure and went from 173-3 to 189-10 in a matter of a few overs. PBKS, on the other hand, haven't faced such horrendous slip-ups. Led by a tactically astute captain, Shreyas Iyer (who is on the verge of two consecutive titles) and under the leadership of Ricky Ponting, one of the most successful coaches in world cricket, PBKS look better placed to trump RCB in this upcoming Qualifier. RCB's road to the IPL 2025 looks difficult but given that the state they are in, a defeat will give them an opportunity to make amends in Qualifier 2.