IPL 2025: Punjab Kings Aim for Season Sweep Against Struggling RCB in Sunday Clash
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Synopsis
As the Punjab Kings prepare to face the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Match 37 of IPL 2025, they aim to achieve a season double after a recent victory. RCB seeks to recover from a heavy defeat, emphasizing the importance of their key players in this crucial match.
Key Takeaways
- Punjab Kings are looking for a season double.
- RCB needs to recover from a heavy defeat.
- Key players like Kohli and Salt must perform.
- Punjab's bowling has been exceptional this season.
- The match takes place at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium.
New Chandigarh, April 19 (NationPress) Following their impressive victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru at their home ground last Friday, the confident Punjab Kings are set to aim for a season double when the two teams meet once more in Match 37 of the IPL 2025 this Sunday in New Chandigarh.
For RCB, it has been a quick turnaround, as they are still reeling from the heavy defeat they experienced at home. In the rain-affected match in Bengaluru, RCB's batting lineup crumbled, managing only 95 runs for 9 wickets in a curtailed 14-over format, with Tim David's resilient 50 not out standing out as the only highlight.
Players such as Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar, and Liam Livingstone struggled to adjust to the challenging pitch conditions. Captain Patidar acknowledged after the match that their inability to form partnerships and losing quick wickets severely impacted their performance.
Currently sitting fourth on the points table with eight points from seven matches, RCB must regroup quickly. Salt and Kohli will need to take on the responsibility for a solid start, while Patidar, Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, and Krunal Pandya are expected to fortify the middle order. Their bowling attack also relies heavily on Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar securing early breakthroughs, with essential support from Krunal, Yash Dayal, and Suyash Sharma.
In contrast, the Punjab Kings are overflowing with confidence. Under Shreyas Iyer's leadership, they have clinched five victories out of seven matches and are positioned second in the points table, just behind Delhi Capitals. Their bowling attack has been the talk of the season, featuring Arshdeep Singh's sharp new-ball spells, Xavier Bartlett's varied deliveries, Marco Jansen's bounce, and Yuzvendra Chahal's revitalized middle-over strike ability, creating a formidable challenge for opponents.
Chahal has particularly excelled, providing crucial breakthroughs at key moments, which has earned him praise from Iyer. On the batting side, Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh have established strong foundations, while Inglis, Wadhera, Shashank Singh, and Stoinis contribute power and depth in the middle order.
When: The match is scheduled for Sunday at 3:30 PM IST.
Where: Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh.
Where to watch: The match will be broadcasted on Star Sports and streamed live on JioHotstar.
Squads:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Rajat Patidar (c), Virat Kohli, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Liam Livingstone, Rasikh Salam, Suyash Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Nuwan Thushara, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethel, Devdutt Padikkal, Swastik Chhikara, Lungi Ngidi, Abhinandan Singh, Mohit Rathee.
Punjab Kings: Shreyas Iyer (c), Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Yash Thakur, Suryansh Shedge, Praveen Dubey, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Harpreet Brar, Azmatullah Omarzai, Josh Inglis, Xavier Bartlett, Vishnu Vinod, Aaron Hardie, Kuldeep Sen, Harnoor Singh, Musheer Khan, Pyla Avinash.
