With a place in the IPL 2025 final on the line, all eyes will be on Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings and Rajat Patidar’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru when they clash in Qualifier 1 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Put in to bat first, Iyer’s leadership credentials will undergo a stern examination as Punjab Kings, buoyed by their first playoff appearance in over a decade, aim to script history. For a side that last made the top four in 2014, this year marks a significant shift in fortunes, driven by the tactical acumen of Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting. The duo has transformed Punjab into a cohesive, fearless unit that no longer seems weighed down by the ghosts of past failures.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru, on the other hand, enter the playoffs with the burden of expectations and the pain of previous knock-out disappointments. Despite reaching the playoffs 10 times, RCB remains without an IPL title, a record that continues to haunt both players and fans alike. Under new leadership and a strong finish in the league stage, the team believes that this could finally be their moment. As they often remind themselves, the mission is far from complete.