PBKS vs RCB Match Prediction: Who Will Win the IPL 2025 Qualifier 1?

Punjab Kings will play against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2025 Qualifier 1 at Mullanpur Cricket Stadium. Both teams have been seen recently to be in great form. Given that, they both won their previous matches and advanced to qualifier 1 with a big statement.

PBKS vs RCB Match Details

Shreyas Iyer's PBKS and Rajat Patidar's RCB have consistently delivered outstanding performances since the tournament's first match. So, the upcoming match between these two teams will be interesting to see because the best players from these tournaments will be featured in this high-intensity battle, and they will all be eager to put on their best performance in the upcoming match and help their team not only win this match but also get tickets to the final of the 18th season of the IPL, which will be held in Ahmedabad.

PBKS vs RCB Head-to-Head Record

In the PBKS vs RCB rivalry, the two teams have played 35 games, with PBKS winning 18 and gaining a slight advantage, while RCB fought hard against one of the most consistent teams in the IPL 2025, winning 17 games. So, this match will be crucial for both teams because losing is not an option in Qualifier 1, given that the winner will receive a direct ticket to the final as a reward. So both PBKS and RCB will be looking to show their dominance in their next match.

PBKS vs RCB Pitch Report & Weather Conditions

The pitch of the Mullanpur Cricket Stadium is known as bat-friendly throughout the game. Batters are favored in both innings. It is a completely flat pitch with plenty of runs and little assistance for bowlers. According to the pitch's overall statistics, teams that bat first have scored an average of 180 runs.

So, given this pitch, it is best to bat first and defend the target in the second inning, restricting the opponent from chasing the target. Previous records show that the team that batted first performed better at this venue. The weather at Mullanpur Cricket Stadium for Qualifier 1 of the IPL 2025 between PBKS and RCB looks to be ideal for cricket. Clear skies are expected, with a warm temperature of around 38°C. Fortunately, rain is not predicted to disturb the match.

Average 1st innings score

According to the pitch's overall statistics, teams that bat first have scored an average of 180 runs. So, given this pitch, it is best to bat first and defend the target in the second inning, restricting the opponent from chasing the target

Chasing Record

According to previous IPL statistics, the Mullanpur Cricket Stadium has hosted nine IPL matches. Of those, the team that fielded first won four matches, which is around 44%, while the team that batted first won five. This clearly showed that, if the toss was won, batting first could be a viable option on this ground. In the last three matches played on this pitch, the team that batted first won two of them.

Weather Report

The weather at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium (Mullanpur Cricket Stadium) for Qualifier 1 of the IPL 2025 between PBKS and RCB looks to be ideal for cricket. Clear skies are expected, with a warm temperature of around 38°C. Fortunately, rain is not predicted to disturb the match.

PBKS vs RCB Match Prediction: Probable Playing XI (Predicted)

PBKS’ Probable Playing 11

Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer ©, Nehal Wadhera, Josh Inglis (wk), Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Kyle Jamieson, Arshdeep Singh, Vijay Kumar Vyashak, Harpreet Brar (Impact Player).

RCB’s Probable Playing 11

Virat Kohli, Tim Seifert, Rajat Patidar ©, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Mayank Agarwal, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma (Impact Player), Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal.

Form and Fitness

PBKS’ recent form (most recent first): W L W W W

RCB’s recent form (most recent first): W L N/R W W

PBKS vs RCB recent form (Last 5 Matches)

PBKS

PBKS has been in excellent form this season. Shreyas Iyer, their new captain, changed the team's fortunes in the IPL 2025. Looking at this team's recent performance, they look to be quite solid and strong. They have won four out of their last five matches. They have defeated MI, PBKS, LSG, and CSK in their last five matches, with their only defeat coming against DC in the tournament's 66th match. Their confidence will be high in Qualifier 1 because they earned it by defeating the Mumbai Indians in their final group stage match.

RCB

RCB has also been in exceptional touch, showing clinical performance throughout the IPL 2025. If we look at their last five matches, RCB has won three and lost one under Rajat Patidar's captaincy. Also, the rain washed out one match against KKR, resulting in a no-result. This new RCB advanced to Qualifier 1 after defeating the dangerous-looking LSG in their final group stage match. Previously, they defeated CSK and DC in close matches before losing badly to SRH. However, they made a magnificent comeback in the final group stage match of the IPL 2025, setting an exemplary record in that encounter and progressing to Qualifier 1, where they will face PBKS.

PBKS vs RCB Toss Prediction: PBKS to win the toss and choose to bat first

We expect PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer to win the toss and prefer to bat first. According to previous statistics of this ground, batting first is the best option after winning the toss. PBKS also prefers to bat first after winning the toss, as seen in the previous matches. So, our prediction is that PBKS will win the toss and bat first at the Mullanpur Cricket Stadium.

PBKS vs RCB score Prediction

PBKS vs RCB Players to Perform Prediction

Punjab Kings

Shreyas Iyer

• Iyer is the most consistent batsman on the PBKS team, having scored consistently all season.
• He always stepped up for his team, controlling the situation with his exceptional batting abilities, and helped PBKS advance to Qualifier 1.
• He adapts to the situation of the match and then builds his inning, making him the ideal Dream11 Captaincy pick for PBKS in the next match.

Arshdeep Singh

• Arshdeep is competing for the Purple Cap, and he currently ranks fourth with 18 wickets in 14 innings.
• It demonstrated how good his bowling has been this season of the IPL, which has helped him take wickets consistently throughout the tournament.
• His precise line and lengths, as well as his pinpoint yorkers, make him a key player to watch for in the next PBKS match.

Priyansh Arya

• Priyansh appears to be in excellent form right now, having played a match-winning inning against MI in their most recent match, which helped them win comfortably.
• He scored 62 runs off just 35 balls, including 9 boundaries and two maximums, demonstrating how dangerous he can be in the powerplay once he gets his eyes on the ball.
• He can easily play both grounded and high-percentage shots, setting him apart from other batters.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Josh Hazlewood

• Josh Hazlewood will return to the RCB playing XI for Qualifier 1 against PBKS, as confirmed by stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma in the previous match.
• He is currently the leading wicket-taker for RCB, having taken 18 wickets in just 10 innings at an economy rate of 8.44.
• He has that extra bounce and lethal pace that can make it difficult for PBKS batters to score runs against RCB.

Jitesh Sharma

• Jitesh Sharma is India's bright future, as evidenced by his performance in the most recent match against LSG.
• He scored an unbeaten 85 runs off only 33 balls, smashing every other LSG bowler at a strike rate of 257.58, and his innings helped RCB chase down the target of 228 runs in just 18.4 overs.
• As he improved his form in the previous match, he can pose a threat to PBKS bowlers in the death overs by scoring runs quickly.

Virat Kohli

• Kohli is proving to his critics why he is regarded as the king of modern cricket.
• Kohli has consistently scored runs for RCB for many years and continues to do so.
• He single-handedly carried his team with his exceptional batting skills, and we expect him to deliver a magical performance in the IPL 2025 Qualifier 1 against PBKS.

PBKS vs RCB Best Batsmen Prediction

Who will score the most runs for PBKS in the match: Shreyas Iyer & Priyansh Arya

Who will score the most runs for RCB in the match: Virat Kohli & Jitesh Sharma

PBKS vs RCB Best Bowler Prediction

Who will pick the most wickets for PBKS in the match: Arshdeep Singh & Harpreet Brar
Who will pick the most wickets for RCB in the match: Josh Hazlewood & Yash Dayal

Disclaimer: The prediction is based on the author’s understanding, analysis, and instinct. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned, and make your own decision.