IPL 2025: RCB Blow Away Punjab Kings With Minimum Fuss

IPL 2025: This is turning out to be a summer of joy and happiness for the RCB fans. On Thursday night at the Mullanpur cricket venue, near Chandigarh, Rajat Patidar's side turned on the heat to blow away Punjab Kings by eight wickets in the Indian Premier League marquee clash.

For sure, this was one of the most dominant and defining performances from RCB, who storm into the IPL 2025 final after a nine-year gap. The way RCB have played this year, hordes of fans inside the arena and warriors on social media who form their pack of loyal supporters have being going full throttle.

Battles are not won on social media platforms. And on the big stage, what matters is coming good. For all the consistency, class and composure which Punjab Kings have shown this season under Shreyas Iyer's leadership, the capitulation in a big match was terrible.

It was not just a script gone wrong, it was sheer madness which unfolded from the Punjabi dudes. They turned duds and will now await the result of the Friday night match to see what is in store.

This was like buying tickets for a thriller movie with pop corn to munch and the junk soft drinks to get an adrenaline fix, based on high caffeine content. Sadly, what one saw was RCB come out firing like professionals who have been waiting in the wings.

They have been riled and ridiculed, not having won the IPL Trophy in 19 years. Chants in Kannada of 'Ee Cup Namada" have been scorned and mocked. Maybe now, they can dream, rub their eyes in disbelief and wait for the magic to happen in the final on June 3.

Hope is eternal, as RCB have shown in 2025, under the leadership of Young Turk Rajat Patidar, they can perform at peak. What a bowling performance one watched from RCB as Suyash Sharma, a young and exciting bowler from Delhi showed 'spin win' mentality.

Rightly adjudged the Player Of The Match, Suyash was cunning and calm as he uncorked champagne stuff to pick three wickets for a steal deal.

Add to that the return of Josh Hazlewood, it was enchanting as the Aussie pacer grabbed 3 for 21 in 3.1 overs. The story of Josh was 'if and but' not sure if he would return after an injury.

As it turned out, the Aussie came back with vengeance even as Yash Dayal was an early bird taking two wickets. For those who felt the track had something to offer to the bowlers, that's not a 100 per cent true. One has to celebrate and salute the RCB bowlers. To demolish Punjab Kings for 101 in 14.1 overs was defining.

Indeed, it has now become a kind of template, at the top in the RCB batting, Phil Salt will come hard. He has lent spice and punch, coming down on the Punjab bowlers like a heavyweight pugilist to smash an unbeaten 56 off 27 balls.

This was a calculated assault, much like a hoodlum ready to show he is the boss in a local den, unmindful of the consequences. Salt's tasty knock, studded with six fours plus three sixes was mighty.

He was picked for this role and has delivered repeatedly in the IPL 2025 season. There may have been a tinge of sadness for RCB fans as King Kohli scored only 12, but the larger picture was RCB leapfrogging into the final.

This is something the Bengaluru side has been waiting for so long. Last year, RCB had tripped on the big stage. This year, intent and content from the team, backed by the shrewd inputs from mentor Dinesh Karthik, RCB have shone like a beacon.

They can now relax and take a deep breath as the Bengaluru brigade heads to the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad for date with destiny - final on June 3.

Tonight, it will be another head banger's ball, as Mumbai Indians led by Hardik Pandya and Gujarat Titans, skippered by Shubman Gill will compete in the Eliminator. As the name goes, this is like a KO punch, win and stay alive or depart. Indeed, the business end of the IPL, has shown come what may, T20 cricket will rock.