Rajat Patidar, the skipper of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS) in incredible style by smashing a huge six to end IPL 2025 Qualifier 1. The match took place on Thursday, May 29, at Mullanpur’s Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium.
Josh Hazlewood (3/21), Suyash Sharma (3/17), and Yash Dayal (2/26) bowled sensationally in the first innings, setting the foundation for an easy win. After being asked to bat first, PBKS were all out cheaply for 101 in 14.1 overs, with Marcus Stoinis (26) leading the way.
RCB then smashed the low target with to Phil Salt’s blistering 56* (27). At the conclusion of the tenth over, captain Rajat Patidar (15*) gave the final blow with a massive six against left-arm orthodox spinner Musheer Khan, sparking celebrations in the RCB camp as they advanced to the IPL final for the first time since 2016.
The winning moment is shown in the video below:
𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙖 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙨 ❤
🎥 Captain Rajat Patidar fittingly finishes off in style as #RCB are just one step away from the 🏆
Updates ▶ https://t.co/FhocIrg42l#PBKSvRCB | #Qualifier1 | #TheLastMile | @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/hXhslIqcDZ
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 29, 2025“We were very clear in our plans” – Rajat Patidar on RCB’s Qualifier 1 win vs PBKS
At the post-match presentation, Rajat Patidar was pleased with his RCB colleagues’ execution of their ideas and fantastic performance. Considering the triumph, he remarked:
“I think we were very clear in our plans. The fast bowlers used the surface brilliantly and Suyash in the middle overs stuck to his plan. His strength is to stay on the stumps and keep bowling the wrong uns. I am okay if he concedes some runs, don’t want to deter his confidence.”
Rajat Patidar
“We have done a lot of practice over the season so one missed season won’t matter much. The way Salt is giving the start, the way he is playing his shots is a delight to the eyes. First of all I always thank the RCB fans wherever we go, keep supporting us, just one more game and let’s celebrate together.”
Rajat Patidar
The IPL 2025 final will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, June 3, where RCB will play the victor of Qualifier 2.
