Ahmedabad/IBNS: The Narendra Modi Stadium in Gujarat's Ahmedabad will host an epic battle between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings who would hustle for one last time to win the 18th edition of cash-rich mega T20 domestic tournament, Indian Premier League (IPL).

The contest, which will begin at 7:30 pm, will produce a first-time winner with both the teams having a chance to fulfill a long cherished dream.

The tournament, which is closely viewed by the cricket fraternity across the world, started in 2008 but neither Bengaluru nor Punjab could lift the trophy even after coming close to it in the past.

Bengaluru, whose team have remained far balanced compared to their previous years, played three finals (2009, 2011 and 2016) in the past but the cricket god never favoured the red brigade.

Kohli, a cricket icon in India, has tasted World Cups as well as Champions Trophy twice but when it comes to IPL, the 36-year-old has had to return home empty handed every year since IPL's inception.

Retired from T20 Internationals and Tests, Kohli, who is already eyeing a post-retirement life somewhere in the United Kingdom, knows this may be a final chance to complete a full circle in his cricketing career.

In 265 matches, Kohli amassed over 8,000 runs in the IPL at a strike rate of 132.91. The star batter slammed eight centuries and 63 half-centuries in 18 seasons of IPL.

Kohli, who hasn't played for any franchise ever other than Bengaluru, is also amongst runs in this edition of IPL.

He slammed 614 runs in 14 matches so far powering Bengaluru's prospects in this season of the tournament, which has been won by Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings for the highest number of times (5).

In the opponent camp, Punjab captain Shreyas Iyer, whose fiery unbeaten 87 powered the team to set the final date, is perhaps waiting to give a perfect reply to the Indian cricket board (BCCI) as well as his former franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

Iyer led three different IPL teams- Delhi Capitals, Kolkata and Punjab- to finals with once even lifting the trophy.

Shreyas Iyer against CSK in IPL 2025 on April 30, 2025. Photo: IPL/X

While he led Delhi to their first-ever IPL final in 2020, Iyer led Kolkata to final conquest just last year.

However, the former Kolkata skipper was surprisingly not retained by the franchise paving way for Punjab to bag him at a whopping Rs. 26.75 crore.

If Punjab wins on Tuesday night, Iyer will be the first IPL captain to lift the trophy for two different franchises.

"I always say to myself and to my colleagues in the team that 'the bigger the occasion, the calmer you are, you'll get the best results' and I think today was the right example where I was focussing more on my breathing rather than sweating out loud over there," said Iyer speaking to presenter Harsh Bhogle after scripting his match-winning knock against Mumbai Indians in second qualifier on Sunday night.

Pitch and weather report

The pitch at the largest cricket stadium in the world is batting friendly as 10 out of 15 matches witnessed scores touching 200 or more.

In the final, the viewers can expect it to be a high-scoring contest considering the power-packed batting units the two teams possess.

While rain caused a delay in the start of Qualifier 2 on Sunday, there is very little (2-5 percent) chance for a shower this evening in Ahmedabad.

While the temperature is expected to be around 36°C and come down to 31°C by the end of the match, humidity will range from 52 percent to 63 percent during the match hours.

The sky will remain cloudy.

What to expect in the stands?

The cheer for the two teams will be no less. But cameras will occasionally pan towards two Bollywood celebrities and they are- Anushka Sharma and Preity Zinta.

Actress Anushka Sharma, who is Kohli's wife, is one of the most loyal supporters of Bengaluru.

Her smiles, cheers, occasional dismay and flying kisses to her husband from the stand are the recurrent shots during live coverages.

Even after reaching the final through Qualifier 1, Kohli signalled towards his wife that one more win is left for the trophy.

In the rival camp, Preity, a senior Bollywood actress-turned businesswoman, is the co-owner of Punjab Kings.

Despite innumerable highs and lows over the last 18 years, Preity's unwavering support for his men undoubtedly makes her one of the best franchise owners.

Her handshakes, hugs and chats with team members add to the most of the post-match social media reels.

Ahead of the final, she wrote on Instagram, "All smiles as Punjab Kings make it to the final after a SUPER TEAM EFFORT led by our dynamic sarpanch Shreyas Iyer, our passionate coach Ricky Ponting & the entire coaching staff & everyone at PBKS Today will be incomplete without mentioning Lockie Ferguson, Glenn Maxwell & Marco Jansen for making this final possible. One more game to go."