 "RCB vs PBKS, IPL 2025 final: Longest wait for maiden title and other records that could be broken in Ahmedabad showdown")
The Indian Premier League is set to crown a first-time champion on Tuesday, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru facing Punjab Kings in the final of the 18th season in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. PBKS and RCB had finished first and second, respectively, on the points table at the end of the league stage to earn two shots at reaching the final.
Bengaluru gained direct entry with a crushing 8-wicket victory over Punjab in Qualifier 1 after bundling the Shreyas Iyer-led side out for just 101 in Mullanpur. PBKS, however, bounced back with a five-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians , the team that had defeated Gujarat Titans in the Eliminator, to enter the final for just the second time in 18 seasons, and for the first time in 11 years.
Records and milestones that could be broken/achieved in IPL 2025 final
And ahead of Tuesday's showdown at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium , where Iyer had dished out a magnificent 87 not out on Sunday to propel his team into the final, we take a look at some of the records that could be broken and individual and team milestones that could be achieved:
— The IPL is set to witness a first-time winner on Tuesday as neither RCB nor PBKS have lifted the trophy in the past. Punjab had lost to Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014 while RCB lost to Deccan Chargers (2009), Chennai Super Kings (2011) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (2016) in past finals.
— The winning team will also break the record for the longest wait for a maiden title, which currently belongs to MI, who won their maiden title in their sixth season in 2013. KKR achieved the feat in their fifth attempt while SRH and CSK took four and three seasons respectively. Rajasthan Royals and GT had won the title on debut in 2008 and 2022 respectively.
— PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer could become the first player in IPL history to win the title with two different teams. And what will make the victory even more incredible for the Mumbaikar will be the fact that he will achieve it in back-to-back seasons, having led KKR to their third title last year only to get released ahead of the mega auction.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts— Kohli needs another 86 runs to finish with 700-plus runs for the second consecutive season and for the third time overall. He had won the ‘Orange Cap’ in each time he went past the milestone – 973 runs in 2016 and 741 last year – but will need another 146 runs to surpass GT opener Sai Sudharsan, who currently is in the lead with 759 runs. PBKS captain Shreyas has already registered his best performance ever in an IPL season with 603 runs, but like Kohli, is a long way off from the ‘Orange Cap’.
— RCB pacer Josh Hazlewood needs to collect at least four wickets to finish with the ‘Purple Cap’ as the highest wicket-taker and become only the second Australian to win the award. A four-fer will allow the pacer to finish level with GT seamer Prasidh Krishna’s current tally of 25 wickets, after which their economy rates will decide the winner of the award. PBKS’ Arshdeep Singh, on the other hand, needs to collect seven or more wickets to win the award.
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