In a high-stakes IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 encounter, Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bowl first against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday. The winner of this knockout clash will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final on Tuesday.
In a significant boost for PBKS, seasoned leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal returns to the playing XI after recovering from a right wrist injury that had sidelined him since May 18. He replaces left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar. Chahal’s return adds experience and variety to the bowling attack, especially after PBKS’ heavy defeat to RCB in Qualifier 1. Paceman Vyshak Vijaykumar also returns to the lineup in place of Prabhsimran Singh, who is expected to feature as the Impact Player during the run chase. Explaining his decision to bowl first, Iyer cited overcast skies, wind, and the fact that the pitch had been under covers the previous day.
“It’s a fresh day, we’ve recovered well and are mentally ready. The dressing room atmosphere is fantastic — high energy, positive mindset. We’re here to win,” Iyer said.
On the other side, MI skipper Hardik Pandya revealed he too would have preferred to bowl first. The five-time champions made a key change, bringing in Reece Topley for Richard Gleeson, who sustained a niggle during the Eliminator win over Gujarat Titans. Pandya assessed the conditions positively for both batters and bowlers, noting the importance of early adaptation.
“It looks like a good track. If you bat well, you can post big scores, but there’s also some help for bowlers who hit the right areas,” he said. “With just a one-day turnaround, recovery was key. The boys are fresh and intensity will be the differentiator today.”
Playing XIs
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Raj Bawa, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Reece Topley
Impact Subs: Ashwani Kumar, Krishnan Shrijith, Raghu Sharma, Robin Minz, Bevon Jacobs
Punjab Kings: Priyansh Arya, Josh Inglis (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai, Kyle Jamieson, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal
Impact Subs: Prabhsimran Singh, Praveen Dubey, Suryansh Shedge, Xavier Bartlett, Harpreet Brar
