Royal Challengers Bengaluru(RCB) secured their spot in Qualifier 1 after a thrilling victory over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their final league match. The game took place on Tuesday, May 28, at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will take on Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2025.
After winning the toss, stand-in skipper Jitesh Sharma elected to field first. Despite an early loss of Matthew Breetzke, LSG’s batsmen fought back strongly. Rishabh Pant, who had been struggling recently, delivered a brilliant unbeaten century, scoring 118 runs. Mitchell Marsh also contributed a valuable 67 as LSG posted a formidable total of 227 for three.
In response, Royal Challengers Bengaluru(RCB) began confidently with Phil Salt (30) and Virat Kohli (54) giving a solid start. However, the standout performance came from Jitesh Sharma, who played his best innings of the season, smashing an unbeaten 85 off just 33 balls, including his maiden fifty. Supported by Mayank Agarwal’s 41 not out, RCB chased down the target comfortably with six wickets in hand.
This victory propelled Royal Challengers Bengaluru(RCB) to second place on the points table. They will now face PBKS in Qualifier 1 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Chandigarh.
RCB’s Performance in IPL Qualifier 1 Matches
With RCB qualifying for Qualifier 1 again, let’s take a look at their past record in this stage of the IPL. Before the 2025 season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru(RCB) had reached Qualifier 1 only twice. On both occasions, they successfully advanced to the final and will be aiming to repeat that feat this time.
Their first appearance in Qualifier 1 was in 2011, where they faced Chennai Super Kings (CSK) but ended up losing the match. Nevertheless, they bounced back by winning Qualifier 2, which secured their spot in the final.
The second time was in 2016. That season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru(RCB) won their Qualifier 1 match against Gujarat Lions (now defunct) and directly qualified for the final.
| Year | Qualifier 1 Opponent | Result in Qualifier 1 | Outcome After Qualifier 1 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Chennai Super Kings (CSK) | Lost | Won Qualifier 2 and reached the final | First time in Qualifier 1 |
| 2016 | Gujarat Lions | Won | Advanced directly to the final | Gujarat Lions now defunct |
| 2025 | TBD | TBD | Attempting to reach the final again | Qualified for Qualifier 1 |