Looking for their first IPL title, Punjab Kings are up against the five-time champions Mumbai Indians in the second qualifier at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad
Only two matches are left in this season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, with Punjab Kings taking on Mumbai Indians in the second qualifier on Sunday, 1 June at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The final will also be played at the same venue.
As the preparations for the last stage of the IPL 2025 are underway, let's take a look at the developments for the day.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar is celebrating his 32nd birthday today. He has led RCB into the final of the IPL after nine years. This is his first year as IPL captain, and he has shown tremendous ability to lead the side. He also took his state side, Madhya Pradesh, into the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 earlier, where they lost to Shreyas Iyer's Mumbai.
He has made 1085 runs in the IPL at a strike rate of 154.12. He is also the only player to score a century in the Eliminator and has a 100+ average in IPL playoffs.
Kolkata Knight Riders became the two-time IPL champions under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir on this day in 2014. They defeated Virender Sehwag's Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab) by three wickets in the final. Manish Pandey played a match-winning knock of 94 runs off 50 balls to take his side win the title comfortably. They chased down a 200-run target with three balls to spare.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar needs just four more wickets in the IPL to become the first pacer to bag 200 wickets. He has 196 wickets so far in IPL history. He is the second on the list of all-time wicket takers, with Yuzvendra Chahal leading the list with 219 wickets. He will try to breach the mark in the final and help his team, RCB, win the title.
Looking for their first IPL title, Punjab Kings are up against the five-time champions Mumbai Indians in the second qualifier at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad today. The winner will enter the final, where they will face RCB at the same venue. This is a do-or-die match for both sides. Punjab Kings finished at the top of the table after the league stage but lost to RCB in the first qualifier. MI are coming after defeating Shubman Gill's GT in the Eliminator.
England legends Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton are jokingly worried that RCB mentor Dinesh Karthik will become "unbearable" if the team wins their first IPL title. Karthik is on the verge of achieving this feat in his first season with the franchise.
Hussain quipped that Karthik would be "unbearable" if RCB lifts the trophy, while Atherton joked that he'd be like John Terry, proudly holding the trophy alongside Virat Kohli. Both Hussain and Atherton seem to be enjoying teasing Karthik's already confident persona.
Dinesh Karthik is celebrating his 40th birthday today.
Rajasthan Royals became the IPL champions of the first-ever season under Shane Warne's leadership on this day in 2008. The inaugural season saw the final between the Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings, where RR won the match on the last delivery of the match while chasing a modest target of 164 runs. Yusuf Pathan was named Player of the Match for his all-round performance.