Punjab Kings wrested control in the middle overs of the IPL 2025 final after the crucial dismissal of Virat Kohli, leaving Royal Challengers Bengaluru at 132 for 4 after 15 overs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
After opting to bowl first, Punjab’s bowlers kept things tight in the middle phase. RCB struggled to maintain momentum post-powerplay, and just as Kohli and Liam Livingstone began to accelerate, Azmatullah Omarzai produced a pivotal breakthrough.
Kohli, who had anchored RCB’s innings with 43 off 35 balls (4 fours), was caught and bowled by Omarzai in the 15th over. The dismissal halted a promising partnership and handed Punjab a clear advantage heading into the final five overs. Interestingly, commentary noted a minor obstruction from the non-striker during the dismissal, but it wasn’t intentional.
RCB’s innings had earlier suffered from inconsistency. Philip Salt (16 off 9) fell early, followed by Mayank Agarwal (24 off 18) and Rajat Patidar (26 off 16), who both failed to convert promising starts. Liam Livingstone (16* off 11) remains at the crease with Jitesh Sharma (1* off 1), looking to provide late impetus.
Punjab’s bowlers shared the spoils, with Kyle Jamieson (2 wickets), Azmatullah Omarzai (1 wicket), and Yuzvendra Chahal (1 wicket) keeping RCB in check.
With Punjab tightening the screws and RCB needing a big finish, the momentum is firmly with Punjab Kings heading into the death overs of this highly anticipated IPL 2025 final.
