On May 29, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) delivered a crushing blow to send Punjab Kings (PBKS) packing in their adopted home ground in Mullanpur. Hazlewood's return boosted RCB massively as he picked up three wickets early doors to lay the foundation for a spectacular batting collapse. Suyash, in the middle overs, tightened the screwes and returned figures of 3-17 to cripple the explosive PBKS batting lineup.

See also: RCB creates another record in IPL 2025 with unprecedented batting feat

The run chase from RCB was menacing, as Salt quickly raced out of the blocks, hammering and unbeaten 56* to help RCB complete a record run chase inside 10 overs. Their massive eight-wicket win has left a deep scar on PBKS's face as they look to regroup ahead of their do-or-die Qualifier 2 match on June 1. 

RCB enter IPL final after nine years

RCB brushed aside PBKS in a one-sided manner in Qualifier 1 to book their spot in the IPL 2025 Final. Their nine-year-long wait has finally come to an end. It is worth noting that the franchise has previously made three appearances in the final before the ongoing edition. RCB brought their A-game to the fore like no one expected. It got all the players involved, most notably King Kohli, who was frequently seen passing suggestions to his bowlers after every delivery. 

The buzz and the euphoria also left the on-air commentators captivated. The commentary panel, featuring Navjot Singh Sidhu, Suresh Raina, and Akash Chopra, was full of praise as they couldn't really come to terms with how RCB went about a rampage. Former Indian batting legend Suresh Raina also expressed his views on Kohli & Co's extraordinary dominance on the field. 

Watch Raina's reaction in the comm box:

WICKET! 💥

Priyansh Arya is gone and RCB is pumped!

Virat Kohli’s energy is unmatched, and the Comm Box is LOVING every second of it. 🔥

LIVE NOW ➡ https://t.co/B4bnHnppgJ #IPLPlayoffs | #Qualifier1 👉 #PBKSvRCB on Star Sports Network & JioHotstar pic.twitter.com/ZYUVEcO8A4

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) May 29, 2025

In this video, Raina heaped praise on Kohli and recognized the hard work that he has put in over his 18-year-long career with RCB. He beleives that the plan is all coming together for RCB now and aspires them to reach the top summit. 

On the back of a thumping win, experts suggest that we could likely see a new champion this year. However, RCB will have to wait for the outcome of the Eliminator and Qualifier 2 match to determine their opponents for the final that will be played in Ahmedabad on June 3.