Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings vie for IPL trophy
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's captain Rajat Patidar and Punjab Kings' captain Shreyas Iyer pose with IPL 2025 trophy during a press conference on the eve of their final match, in Ahmedabad
Image: IANS
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to welcome its new winner on Tuesday when Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) take on each other in the title clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to lift their maiden silverware.
RCB and PBKS have been part of the tournament since its inception in 2008. Both sides have come close to lifting the IPL trophy but ended as runners-up.
RCB played three finals (2009, 2011, 2016) before this year's title clash, while Punjab had their chance in 2014.
With the excitement among fans of both franchises reaching the pinnacle, the encounter is going to be a nail-biting affair.
However, the weather is likely to make it more intense for the fans with a rain threat looming around the match.
According to AccuWeather, the temperature in Ahmedabad will be around 36°C at the beginning of the game, dropping to around 31°C by the end. The sky is expected to be cloudy for most of the time, and there is around 2% to 5% chance of rain to interrupt the game.
In case of a washout on Tuesday, the IPL 2025 final will be played on the reserve day, which is Wednesday.
In case of a complete washout on both days, the team that has finished at the top (Punjab Kings) will lift the title.
Ahmedabad also hosted the IPL final in 2023, which was significantly disrupted by rain. The match, initially set for May 28, had to be postponed without a single ball being bowled. Fortunately, the Board of Control for Cricket in India utilised a reserve day to hold the final the following day.
However, rain continued to interfere, leading to a shortened contest, with the second innings limited to just 15 overs. Ravindra Jadeja's last-ball heroics guided Chennai Super Kings to their fifth IPL title against the home side Gujarat Titans.
Rajat Patidar, who propelled Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the IPL finale on his very first rodeo as skipper, has said that the team is focusing more on process rather than results for the summit clash against Punjab Kings.
RCB have stormed into the IPL final after nine long years and are eyeing their maiden trophy that has eluded them for 17 years.
They will be playing an IPL final for the fourth time, having finished runners-up in 2009, 2011 and 2016 to Deccan Chargers, Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad respectively.
"It's my first season as a captain. I'm lucky that I have our coaches and senior players. Their ideas are helping me a lot in this new leadership role. Everyone is happy, everyone is prepared. It's a big stage, but we are taking it as just another game. It's important to control the controllables. We are just focusing on our process rather than results, and it's a big occasion," Patidar said in a video posted by the franchise on X.