IPL braces for new champion as RCB, PBKS aim to end drought

IPL Braces for New Champion as RCB, PBKS Aim to End Drought

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The stage is set for a thrilling finale as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) face off in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 18 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The two teams have been on a roll, with RCB demolishing PBKS in their last encounter, and PBKS winning their last match against Mumbai Indians.

The match will be a battle of contrasting styles, with RCB's Virat Kohli looking to end his 18-year wait for an IPL trophy, while PBKS' Shreyas Iyer is seeking to lead his team to their first-ever title. The two captains have different approaches to the game, with Iyer opting for a more aggressive approach, while Patidar prefers a more measured approach.

The head-to-head record between the two teams is even, with 18 wins each, but RCB has a clear recent advantage, having beaten PBKS in five of their last six encounters. The match will be played on a mixed-soil pitch, which has yielded over 470 runs in the past.

Probable XIs:

• RCB: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Mayank Agarwal, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma
• PBKS: Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Josh Inglis (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Kyle Jamieson, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar/Yuzvendra Chahal, Vijaykumar Vyshak