Shreyas Becomes First Captain to Lead 3 IPL Franchises into the Title Race – Strategy & Analysis
IPL Final RCB AND PUNJAB Match
Sports Desk | 2 hours ago
The finalists for IPL 2025 have been confirmed. On June 3, the title clash will take place in Ahmedabad between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS). Both teams are still chasing their first-ever IPL trophy.
🏏 Shreyas Iyer Creates History
PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer has achieved a rare milestone — leading three different franchises to the IPL final in just five years. In Qualifier 2, he played a match-winning knock of 87 against Mumbai*, guiding Punjab to their first final since 2014.
On the other side, Rajat Patidar, captaining an IPL team for the first time, has made headlines by taking RCB to the final — winning all 8 away matches this season. Just six months ago, he had also led his state team to the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 final.
Let’s break down both captains’ journeys and strategies through three key factors:
1. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
i. Back in the Final After 9 Years
Under the leadership of first-time captain Rajat Patidar, RCB has reached their first final since 2016. Remarkably, Patidar’s RCB became the first team in IPL history to win all away matches in a single season.
He made crucial fifties against two top sides — KKR and CSK — and led RCB to two season wins over Chennai, a feat achieved for the first time. In Qualifier 1, RCB bowled out Punjab for just 101 runs, and Patidar sealed the win with a finishing six.
Fans are now hopeful that RCB can finally end their 17-year title drought.
ii. Rajat Patidar’s IPL Journey – Key Stats:
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IPL Debut in 2021: Signed by RCB before the 2021 season. Played only 4 matches, scoring 71 runs, and was later released.
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Comeback in 2022: Returned as a replacement for Luvnith Sisodia and finished as RCB’s third-highest run scorer. Played a memorable innings of 112 (54 balls)* in the Eliminator vs LSG, helping RCB reach Qualifier 2.