The stage is set for a historic showdown at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) take on Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the IPL 2025 final on June 3. With both teams desperate to lift their maiden IPL trophy after years of heartbreak, the atmosphere crackled with anticipation as PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bowl first, hoping to exploit the evening conditions and chase under lights. The head-to-head record between the two sides is perfectly balanced, adding another layer of intrigue to this much-awaited clash.
Reason behind Tim David’s absence
In the build-up to the final, much speculation swirled around the availability of RCB’s explosive finisher, Tim David. The Australian all-rounder, known for his big-hitting prowess in the death overs, has been a vital cog in RCB’s middle order throughout the season. However, David suffered a hamstring injury during a group-stage match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, pulling up in the final over while fielding on the boundary. Since then, he has not featured in RCB’s playing XI, missing both the crucial Qualifier 1 and now, the grand finale.
Despite hopes of a late recovery, reports on the morning of the final confirmed that David had not recovered sufficiently and was ruled out of the title decider. His absence is a significant blow to RCB’s finishing firepower, forcing the team to rely on other overseas options like Romario Shepherd and Liam Livingstone to shoulder the end-overs hitting duties. The injury also means RCB lose a flexible option who could have been pivotal in countering PBKS’s bowling attack in the high-pressure final.
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Playing XI of RCB and PBKS for IPL 2025 Final
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarwal, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood
Impact sub: Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Dar, Manoj Bhandage, Tim Seifert, Swapnil Singh
Punjab Kings: Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (c), Josh Inglis (wk), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Azmatullah Omarzai, Kyle Jamieson, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal
Impact sub: Prabhsimran Singh, Xavier Bartlett, Harpreet Brar, Suryansh Shedge, Praveen Dubey
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