The Daily Guardian
  • Home/
  • Sports/
  • RCB Marches Into IPL Final, Wins Hearts and Applause from Ex-Cricketers

RCB Marches Into IPL Final, Wins Hearts and Applause from Ex-Cricketers

RCB stormed into the IPL final after a dominant win over PBKS, earning praise from Kaif, Pathan, and Raina for their powerful bowling attack.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue
Advertisement · Scroll to continue
RCB Marches Into IPL Final, Wins Hearts and Applause from Ex-Cricketers

Former Indian cricketers Mohammed Kaif, Irfan Pathan, and Suresh Raina praised Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) after their big win against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Thursday. As a result, RCB reached the IPL final after nine long years.

RCB Enters Final After Bowlers Shine

RCB defeated PBKS by eight wickets at Mullanpur. This victory marked their fourth appearance in an IPL final. Importantly, bowlers Suyash Sharma and Josh Hazlewood led the charge by taking three wickets each.

Kaif Highlights Bowling as Game-Changer

Soon after the match, Kaif applauded the team’s bowling strength. In a post on X, he pointed out that RCB had finally realized the key to winning.
“It took a while for RCB to understand that good old cricketing truth. Bowlers win you games,” he wrote.

Pathan Praises Team’s Effort

Meanwhile, Irfan Pathan also congratulated RCB. He said the team truly earned their place in the final.
“RCB in the finals. Deserve every bit of it. Congratulations to their fans. The bowling had sting in it,” Pathan posted.

Raina Applauds Energy and Key Players

Additionally, Suresh Raina shared his excitement on X. He highlighted the fast bowlers and lauded Virat Kohli’s energy.
“One Step Away from Glory! Congratulations to RCB on scintillating display. The trio of Yash Dayal, Bhuveaneswar Kumar and Hazelwood was unplayable. Aur @imvkohli kya kehne. Mind blowing energy #RCBvsPBKS @RCBTweets,” he posted.

PBKS Struggles in Powerplay

Earlier in the match, RCB won the toss and chose to bowl first. As a result, PBKS crumbled to 48/4 during the powerplay. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hazlewood, and Yash Dayal picked up early wickets. Though Marcus Stoinis scored 26 and Azmatullah Omarzai added 18, PBKS only reached 101 runs in 14.1 overs.

Suyash took 3/17, while Hazlewood bagged 3/21. Yash Dayal grabbed 2/26. In addition, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Romario Shepherd claimed one wicket each.

Salt and Patidar Seal the Win

During the chase, RCB lost Virat Kohli for 12 and Mayank Agarwal for 19. However, Phil Salt took charge. He smashed 56 not out from just 27 balls, hitting six fours and three sixes. Furthermore, captain Rajat Patidar stayed unbeaten on 15 as RCB finished the chase in just 10 overs.

PBKS bowlers Kyle Jamieson and Musheer Khan took one wicket each.

Suyash Wins Top Honour

For his excellent bowling, Suyash Sharma received the ‘Player of the Match’ award.

What’s Next?

Now, RCB has secured a spot in the final. However, PBKS still has one more chance. They will face the winner of the eliminator match between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Gujarat Titans (GT) on June 1 in Ahmedabad.

Tags:

IPL 2025