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Hazlewood To Rattle Iyer? Player Battles To Watch Out In PBKS vs RCB IPL Qualifier 1

Arnav Chopra

Shreyas Iyer and Josh Hazlewood (Source: @IPL/X.com)Shreyas Iyer and Josh Hazlewood (Source: @IPL/X.com)

It is anticipated to be a high-profile encounter when Punjab Kings (PBKS) take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Qualifier-1 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the new Chandigarh Stadium. The encounter, which is expected to be high-profile, will be played on Thursday, May 29, from 7:30 PM IST, with everything at stake.

Punjab Kings finished the group stage at the top of the table with nine wins in 14 matches, as they lost just four games with one no-result and accumulated 19 points to their name with a net run rate of +0.372 and are coming off a dominating victory over Mumbai Indians by seven wickets.

Conversely, on the other hand, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru finished second with a similar record of nine wins in 14 matches and one no-result, with 19 points, but had a net run rate of +0.301, as they are also coming off a victory over Lucknow Super Giants, where they chased a record total.

Therefore, with so much to look forward to in this game, let's have a look at some player battles that could shape up this high-profile encounter.

1. Shreyas Iyer vs Josh Hazlewood

Criterion
Data
Innings5
Runs9
Dismissals3
Balls19
Average3.00
Strike Rate47.36
  • Punjab Kings' skipper Shreyas Iyer has had a horrible record against RCB's prime Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood, as he has been dismissed three times out of five occasions, with just nine runs coming off 19 deliveries.
  • Hazlewood has the upper hand against the right-handed batter, as the average is just three and a strike rate of 47.36 further confirms that. Iyer has been fluent throughout this edition of the league with his stroke play, whereas Hazlewood has dominated certain moments for RCB with his breakthrough bowling, as he has the ability to scalp wickets at crucial junctures of the game.
  • Therefore, this battle will be something to watch out for, as both these players will look to dominate each other in a cut-throat battle. If Iyer manages to stay till the death overs, Josh Hazlewood would definitely come in and will have a very crucial role to play, as he will have to neutralize Shreyas' effect in the last few overs with the bat.

2. Jitesh Sharma vs Yuzi Chahal

Criterion
Data
Innings7
Runs41
Dismissals3
Balls35
Average13.66
Strike Rate117.14
  • Another battle which has been dominated by a bowler is between Punjab Kings' leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal against RCB's middle-order wicket-keeping batter Jitesh Sharma, who has been in terrific form so far.
  • The head-to-head comparison between these two favours the leg spinner, as Chahal has dismissed Jitesh three times out of seven innings, where only 41 runs have been scored off 35 deliveries.
  • An average of 13.66 and a strike rate of 117.14 reflects that Jitesh has had trouble facing Chahal in the past, and that is something which could favour the leg spinner, who would likely be called in to get Jitesh's number one more time. Jitesh hit the purple patch in the last innings against LSG, whereas Chahal has been on the sidelines due to injury.
  • Therefore, Jitesh will likely try to go against Chahal to ensure that he continues his good form without focusing too much on the stats. However, with numbers in mind, Punjab would look to bring in Chahal whenever Jitesh Sharma walks on to the crease to ensure the wicket-keeper does not get to stay in the middle for long.

3. Virat Kohli vs Harpreet Brar

Criterion
Data
Innings7
Runs74
Dismissals2
Balls67
Average37.00
Strike Rate110.44
  • The battle between RCB superstar Virat Kohli and Punjab's left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar reflects that Kohli generally plays Brar non-aggressively.
  • In seven innings, Kohli has been dismissed twice by Brar, whereas he has managed to score 74 runs off 67 deliveries, but that only tells us that the average is 37 and the strike rate of 110.44 only tells us that Kohli tries to play Brar carefully without going for too many aggressive shots, and that is why the strike rate is low and the average is on the higher side.
  • Kohli has been outright aggressive in the powerplay which is why bringing in Harpreet Brar would be an ideal choice for Punjab, as he can tie Kohli down with his left-arm spin, keeping him bundled for the initial overs and, in fact, could help Punjab in a big way if he gets the wicket of the Indian stalwart.

4. Prabhsimran Singh vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Criterion
Data
Innings7
Runs59
Dismissals4
Balls36
Average14.75
Strike Rate163.88
  • From Prabhsimran Singh's perspective, he has had a decent IPL with the bat, whereas Bhuvneshwar Kumar has blown hot and cold for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru side. 
  • Prabhsimran, who has been intentful in this IPL 2025, has been sent back to the pavilion four times out of seven against the Indian right-arm pacer Bhuvneshwar. He has thumped him for 59 runs off 36 deliveries and due to this, the average falls down to 14.75, whereas the strike rate was up to 163.88.
  • This tells us that the opener is highly aggressive against Bhuvneshwar but also tends to lose his wicket while he often gets into playing some loose shots against the pacer.
  • Therefore, this battle between Prabhsimran and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be highly watchable, considering Prabhsimran will take every chance against Bhuvi, whereas the RCB bowler would like to utilize this opportunity to ensure Prabhsimran gets the desired wicket.