IPL 2025 final, RCB vs PBKS; Former PBKS opener Virender Sehwag predicts RCB to win the title, albeit with a twist
Royal Challengers Bengaluru are batting first against Punjab Kings in the IPL 2025 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad tonight.
Virender Sehwag, former Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings opener, was asked on the Cricbuzz show to predict the winner of the final. Sehwag gave a predictably unpredictable response.
The dashing opener predicted Royal Challengers Bengaluru to win the title, albeit with a twist.
Virender Sehwag predicted Gujarat Titans to win the eliminator and Mumbai Indians to win the Qualifier 2, and both those predictions turned out to be incorrect.
Sehwag said that he is applying the same logic. 'I supported MI to win the Qualifier 2; they lost. So I'm saying RCB will win. Let's see,' quipped the dashing opener.
One can expect Sehwag to have some soft corner for the Punjab Kings, with whom he reached the IPL 2014 final. His 122 off 58 in the Qualifier 2 game against CSK in 2014 remains the 2nd highest individual score in IPL playoffs.
Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to field.
New Zealand's Kyle Jamieson removed the dangerous opener Phil Salt for 16 runs in the 2nd over of the match. Mayank Agarwal got out for 24 runs in Yuzvendra Chahal's opening over. Captain Rajat Patidar got out to Kyle Jamieson's superb yorker for 26 runs. Virat Kohli, the talismanic superstar, scored a scratchy 43 off 35 balls, scoring just 3 fours. Jitesh Sharma's quickfire 24 off 10 balls was curtailed by Vyshak Vijaykumar. RCB had four partnerships in excess of 35 runs, but none of those partnerships crossed 40 runs.
Kyle Jamieson took 3 wickets for Punjab Kings. Arshdeep Singh conceded just 3 runs and took 3 wickets in the final over.
Stay updated on all the action from the IPL 2025, and follow the top performers with the Orange Cap and Purple Cap.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
40 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Siddaramaiah deflects Bengaluru stampede blame, says 'no connection to stadium'
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah attempted to dissociate his government from the Bengaluru stampede tragedy on Sunday, claiming it didn't have 'any connection with the stadium'. Eleven people died and scores sustained injuries after the stampede broke out outside the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru on June 4 during RCB's IPL victory celebrations. "This incident shouldn't have happened. It happened at the Cricket stadium. I don't have any connection with the cricket stadium," he said at the press conference. Also read: 'My son will not come back': Father of Bengaluru stampede victim says compensation will go to wife, daughter Pinning the blame for the stampede on officials, Siddaramaiah also said that this was the first such incident in the state under his leadership and that they have taken action by suspending several officials. "It was an unfortunate incident, it shouldn't have happened. Such an incident never happened after I became the CM. Prima facie it seems to have happened because of the officials' fault, so we have taken action. Everyone is in pain, including me,' he said. When asked whether now-suspended Bengaluru Police commissioner B Dayananda was being made a scapegoat, Siddaramaiah said that five other officials have also been suspended. Highlighting his government's action in response to the stampede, he said, "My political secretary, K Govindaraj, has been removed. We have taken a series of actions, not just the police commissioner alone." The chief minister also added that it was only at 5.45 pm on June 4 that he got to know about the deaths due to the stampede, while they were reported at the hospital at 3.50 pm. Also read: Bengaluru stampede: Siddaramaiah says he learned of deaths only at 5.45 pm 'I came to know that deaths happened at 5.45 pm. At 3.50 pm, deaths were reported at the hospital, but I came to know about it only at 5.45 pm. Until that point, I was not aware of deaths taking place due to the stampede,' he said. Siddaramaiah was not present at the event held at the Chinnaswamy stadium on June 4. However, he did attend the felicitation ceremony for the RCB held in front of Vidhana Soudha on the invitation of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA ) Secretary and Treasurer. The BJP-led Opposition has demanded the chief minister's resignation. Last week, the Karnataka government announced a compensation of ₹25 lakh for the families of those who died in the stampede. With inputs from PTI
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
R Ashwin argues with female umpire, hits his pad with bat in anger after getting out in TNPL match
Ravichandran Ashwin lost his cool during Sunday's Tamil Nadu Premier League match between Dindigul Dragons and IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans. Ashwin, who had a rough IPL season with Chennai Super Kings, has returned to action in TNPL, leading Dindigul Dragons in the 2025 edition. The veteran all-rounder came out to bat as an opener after losing the toss to Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore. The move didn't work out well, as Ashwin was dismissed cheaply for just 18 by his counterpart - Sai Kishore. However, the former India all-rounder was not impressed with the umpire's decision and argued with her. It was the fifth ball of the fifth over, and Sai Kishore trapped Ashwin in front of the wicket, and the umpire straightaway gave him out, but the Dindigul opener thought it was pitching outside the leg-stump. He straightaway went to the umpire and argued with her before walking back towards the pavilion. The 38-year-old was livid with the decision and hit his pads hard with the bat in frustration. The Tiruppur bowlers put up a collective show with the ball and bundled out Ashwin and co. for just 93 in 16.2 overs. Shivam was Dindigul's highest run-getter with a 30-run knock, while only three of their batters managed to cross the double-digit mark. Right-arm seamer Esakkimuthu was the pick of the bowlers for Tiruppur with four wickets under his kitty, while Sai Kishore claimed a couple. Chasing the modest target, wicketkeeper batter Tushar Raheja scored an unbeaten 65 to make it a cakewalk for Tiruppur as they won the match by 9 wickets with 49 balls to spare to stamp their domination in the match. Earlier, 38-year-old Ashwin had a forgettable IPL season on his return to Chennai Super Kings, where he started his journey in the tournament in 2009. The veteran all-rounder claimed just 7 wickets in 9 matches and scored 33 runs with the bat. Five-time champions CSK might release him next year, as he has also dropped from the XI in a few matches this year. Meanwhile, last year in December, he shocked the cricketing world by announcing his retirement with immediate effect in the middle of the Test series against Australia. Ashwin retired from international cricket as the second-highest wicket-taker for India in Tests with 537 scalps in 106 games, leaving him only behind Anil Kumble (619 wickets).
Mint
2 hours ago
- Mint
More Noise, Less Nudge: IPL ads fail to stand out
Mumbai: Despite record-breaking viewership and soaring ad spends, most ads aired during IPL 2025 may have already faded from public memory. While the on-field cricket remains fiercely competitive, advertising creativity appears to be on autopilot, raising serious questions about return on investment and long-term brand impact. This year, the IPL began with what many consider one of the best—and probably the costliest—ads of the season. Dream11's campaign featured Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor and a galaxy of celebrities and cricket stars, setting the tone for the tournament and its rivalries. It was witty, memorable and widely shared. But after that strong start, most ads barely made a mark. Take the much-discussed spot featuring Rohit Sharma talking about financial planning, or MS Dhoni promoting a tile adhesive. Both had star power and brand fit, yet the creative left viewers more puzzled than persuaded. Data from TAM Media Research reveals that more than 105 advertisers and 190 brands participated across the first 70 matches of IPL 2025, with a 27% jump in advertiser count and a 28% rise in brand count over last year. The overall ad volume on TV grew marginally, just 0.45% higher than IPL 2024. But the creative bar hasn't risen alongside. Also read: IPL giant GMR tackles rugby with India League, aims to build Olympic-aligned IP 'While a few brave brands are pushing creative boundaries, most of the advertising seems to be working in a safe, high-frequency mode," said Anshu Yardi, vice-president–business partnerships & communication at TAM Media Research. 'The opportunity is still massive, but innovation requires risk, and during IPL many brands may want to play safe." Ad fatigue at a time of infinite content The issue might extend beyond just ineffective ads; it could reflect a deeper cultural shift in how we define 'good" advertising itself. Abhishek Jain, business director at creative agency Virtue India, believes the competition for consumer attention has moved far beyond traditional formats. 'Ads 'seem' boring now compared to the content—quick, snackable pieces of sponsored entertainment —they are competing with," he said. 'We are now finding relatability in culture and culture in content. Traditional ads just don't have that same shareability or zing." The IPL skew: Not made for storytelling Sandeep Goyal, media veteran and chairman of Rediffusion, is blunt in his assessment. 'The mediocrity of IPL actually reflects the slipping standards of creativity overall. But specific to the IPL, for years now, the secondages have been dominated by the money power of VC-funded brands. Regular brands in FMCG just can't afford the IPL rates. So that skew is the starting point," he said. In the context of advertising, 'secondages" refers to the total number of seconds of advertising airtime. Also read: Will CCI's crackdown reshape the ad industry? Media veteran Raj Nayak explains 'The brands that spend—like a lot in BFSI—are really not seasoned campaigners. They are out to buy noticeability and brand recall, not build emotive narratives that endear them to consumers. Most ads are focused on product superiority, much like 'explainer' videos." He also takes aim at the overuse of celebrities. 'The less said about celebrities, the better. It is now a formula. Nothing more. No attempt to differentiate. No attempt to craft a story that engages. Most celebrities are high on recognition but low on emulatability. A Rohit Sharma dispensing advice on investing! MSD (Dhoni) talking of paints. Consumers just shrug off most such ads. They may remember the brand and even the celebrity, but do not necessarily buy as per the celebrity's endorsement because the pitch carries no real conviction." Creativity costs, and time is a luxury A chief marketing officer (CMO) of a major consumer brand, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted that IPL advertising may never become a true creative showcase like the Super Bowl. 'You don't get everything—budgets are tight, and IPL runs every day for nearly two months. Dream11, Swiggy, ZooZoos from Vodafone—they've created brilliant ads in the past. But those are rare exceptions," the executive said. 'Most CMOs simply don't get the time or investment needed to make IPL campaigns creatively rich. The result is rinse-repeat formats, celebrity plug-ins, and safe messaging." Marquee moment or media burst? Another senior executive from a brand that advertised during IPL 2025 wondered whether advertisers truly understand what a marquee property should be. 'If you're treating IPL as a launch pad, that's fine. But how much can you really build when you're racing against time and media costs just to deliver a message?" According to them, IPL's biggest strength—aggregation of eyeballs—is also its biggest creative limitation. 'If 60-65 crore people are watching, that's huge. But then you're up against frequency fatigue, creative limits and the ticking clock. It's hard to craft something with depth when you're just trying to be everywhere, fast." Also read: Rooter picks up exclusive digital rights for esports tournament BGMI Masters Series The executive added, 'Are people even anticipating IPL ads the way they used to? Are we just spending for attention, or are we creating anything truly memorable? The search for the elusive advertising season continues… is IPL the Nirvana?" So, can the IPL ever be India's Super Bowl? Everyone wants to recreate the cultural buzz and longevity that Super Bowl ads in the US command. But experts agree that for IPL to reach that level, Indian advertisers need to move beyond formula, spend more time on narrative and treat the IPL window not just as a media buy, but as a storytelling opportunity. 'Campaigns are not being created for the long run," Goyal added. 'They are usually for one season, and then everybody feels the need for a refresh because digital has created attention-deficiency syndrome." Until that mindset changes, IPL may remain a grand stage—but one where few ads deserve an encore.
