New Delhi, June 3 (IANS) BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla expressed his excitement for the summit clash of the IPL 2025 between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium and said the team that plays better will lift the trophy.

RCB and PBKS have been part of the tournament since its inception in 2008. Both sides have come close to lifting the IPL trophy but ended as runners-up. RCB will be playing an IPL final for the fourth time, having finished runners-up in 2009, 2011 and 2016 to Deccan Chargers, Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, respectively, while Punjab had their chance in 2014.

“Everyone is expecting it to be an exciting match… two teams, who have not won the IPL in the last 17 years, are locking horns in the final, and this time we will have a new champion,” Shukla told the media.

With the excitement among fans of both franchises reaching the pinnacle, the encounter is going to be a nail-biting affair. However, the weather is likely to make it more intense for the fans with a rain threat looming around the match.

“So, this is new for the people. So, people are excited. On side, we have a team of Virat Kohli and on the other hand, we have a team of Shreyas Iyer. Whoever plays better will win… it should not rain,” he added.

RCB and PBKS have faced off 36 times. The rivalry is currently evenly poised with both sides winning 18 matches each. In the last five encounters, however, RCB hold the edge with four wins, while PBKS have won once.

The highest score in these recent matches is 241 by RCB, while the lowest is also by them – 95 all out. In the 20 matches where teams have batted first, they’ve won 9 and lost 11. In 16 chases, the chasing side has won 9 and lost 7 – a stat that underlines the importance of momentum and match-ups on the day.

–IANS

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