Jitesh Sharma and Kyle Jamieson lead Punjab Kings’ bowling charge, pushing RCB onto the backfoot in the IPL 2025 final showdown at Narendra Modi Stadium.
June-3, 2025: IPL 2025 Final LIVE: Jitesh Sharma Haunts Former Team as PBKS Bounce Back
Jitesh Sharma is leading a fierce counterattack against his former team as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) find themselves five down in the IPL 2025 final against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Ahmedabad. Virat Kohli fell agonizingly short of a half-century, scoring 43 off 35 balls, while Phil Salt (16), Mayank Agarwal (24), Rajat Patidar (26), and Liam Livingstone (25) have also returned to the dugout.
Also Read: IPL Final 2025: Kohli Departs, RCB 152/4 in 16.1 Overs
For Punjab Kings, Kyle Jamieson has been the star, scalping three wickets so far. Yuzvendra Chahal and Azmatullah Omarzai have picked up one each, helping PBKS claw their way back into the game after RCB’s fiery start.
Earlier, PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bowl first — a decision that has started to pay dividends as RCB’s innings wobbled in the face of disciplined bowling.
Punjab Kings won the toss and opted to field
The high drama continued as Vyshak Vijaykumar’s pinpoint delivery finally ended Jitesh Sharma’s entertaining cameo, chopping onto the stumps to give PBKS a crucial breakthrough in the 18th over. Earlier, Jitesh had survived a caught-behind appeal and review, and even saw a lifeline when Romario Shepherd was dropped in the deep by substitute fielder Praveen Dubey.
The 17th over from Kyle Jamieson was particularly expensive, going for 23 runs but also yielding the crucial wicket of Liam Livingstone, who was dismissed on review after a thunderous 6 over mid-wicket. Jitesh had been in red-hot form, smashing scoops and upper cuts for maximums to keep RCB’s hopes alive.
As the final overs approach, RCB’s run rate has climbed above 9, but with only Romario Shepherd and Krunal Pandya at the crease, Punjab Kings will feel they have the edge. Can RCB push past the 200-run mark and give themselves the best shot at IPL glory? Stay tuned for more updates!
Starting XIs:
Punjab Kings: Priyansh Arya, Josh Inglis (w), Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Kyle Jamieson, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarwal, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (w), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood.
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IPL 2025 Final, RCB vs PBKS, Virat Kohli, Jitesh Sharma, Kyle Jamieson, Yuzvendra Chahal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Punjab Kings, IPL cricket, Narendra Modi Stadium, cricket news