RCB vs PBKS: Confident Shreyas Iyer and Rajat Patidar spar with words ahead of IPL 2025 final
Under the floodlights of a packed Narendra Modi Stadium, with RCB and PBKS fans holding their breath, the captains of Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru walked out for the toss — and offered a glimpse into their mindsets. Shreyas Iyer spoke with expressive urgency, alive to the occasion. Rajat Patidar, in contrast, was measured and unflustered, his calm matching Bengaluru's remarkable away form. Both were composed, both confident — but each spoke a different language of leadership.advertisement"I won't say it's just like another game. It's the final and we're going to play like a final," Shreyas Iyer said after winning the toss and opting to bowl first. "Tremendous feeling just thinking about lifting the trophy. The crowd is electrifying. All we have to do is cherish the moment."IPL 2025 Final: Updates
Patidar, meanwhile, downplayed the occasion with ice-cold focus. "It's a big stage, but it's just another away game for us," he said, underlining the incredible feat his side has already achieved - RCB have won all seven of their away games this season, a first in IPL history since the home-and-away format began. Toss @PunjabKingsIPL won the toss and elected to bowl first against @RCBTweets in the Grand #FinalUpdates https://t.co/U5zvVhbXnQ#TATAIPL | #RCBvPBKS | #TheLastMile pic.twitter.com/OG9rob7n0U— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) June 3, 2025advertisementBoth teams named an unchanged XI. While Punjab have ridden on the stability of Iyer's calm yet expressive leadership, RCB have been steered by Patidar's understated but fearless brand of captaincy - especially in pressure chases and tight finishes.Shreyas Iyer's talk of "positive signs to mind and body" reflected a captain consciously locking into the zone. For Patidar, it was all about clarity and rhythm. "We've played good cricket till now. The pitch looks good, it's a mix of red and black soil. We'll look to put up a good score and put them under pressure," he said.IPL 2025 FINAL: RCB vs PBKS PLAYING XISRoyal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarawal, Rajat Patidar(c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh HazlewoodImpact Subs: Rasikh Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Tim Seifert, Swapnil Singh, Suyash Sharma.Punjab Kings (Playing XI): Priyansh Arya, Josh Inglis(w), Shreyas Iyer(c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Kyle Jamieson, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra ChahalImpact Subs: Prabhsimran Singh, Praveen Dubey, Suryansh Shedge, Xavier Bartlet, Harpreet Brar
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