IPL 2025 Qualifier 1: Punjab Kings' top order fumbles, as RCB pace trio strikes in powerplay

The comeback of Josh Hazlewood has ignited a new energy in the RCB’s pace attack, as they have completely damaged the top order of the Punjab Kings’ batting lineup. The hosts’ top order collapsed completely only in the powerplay phase of the innings. RCB skipper Rajat Patidar won the toss and asked PBKS to bat first.

Batting first, the hosts faced a drastic collapse of their top order and upper middle-order, losing four wickets within the power, at the score of just 38 runs in 5.1 overs. At the time of filling this, PBKS had lost 6 wickets at 60 runs in 8.2 overs.

RCB bowlers crush Punjab Kings’ comeback hopes 

The RCB pacers launched a triple attack, as the trio of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, and Yash Dayal have scalped PBKS’ five of six wickets so far. Hazlewood and Dayal have scalped 2 wickets each at just 21 runs each in their three overs each. Besides these two, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has also claimed a wicket at 17 runs in his two overs, alongside specialist spinner Suyash Sharma has also picked a wicket in his first over in the game.

Notably, the veteran RCB pacer Josh Hazlewood is making a return to the playing XI after missing a couple of games in the last phase of the tournament’s league stage. He went back to Australia after the tournament was suspended on May 8, due to the escalated cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan.

Hazlewood is replacing the star pacer Nuwan Thushara in RCB’s playing XI for the ongoing first qualifier against Punjab Kings. Thushara scalped a wicket at just 26 runs in his 4 overs in the last game against LSG.

Speaking of RCB, they finished the league stage in the second spot on the tournament standings, with an iconic 6-wicket win against LSG in the last league match on Tuesday, May 27.