Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Shreyas Iyer opted to bat first in their IPL 2025 clash against Delhi Capitals (DC) in Dharamsala. The decision was largely influenced by the expectation of a damp pitch at the outset due to earlier drizzle, which postponed the toss by over an hour. It finally occurred at 8.15pm, amid light rain.
PBKS retained the same line-up from their previous match, while DC introduced a couple of changes. Legspinner Vipraj Nigam made way for Madhav Tiwari, a promising 21-year-old all-rounder from Madhya Pradesh who bats right-handed and bowls medium pace. Furthermore, Sameer Rizvi stepped in for Karun Nair, who, following an impressive 89 against Mumbai Indians, has been out of form over the past six games.
Shreyas Iyer expressed confidence in his team, saying, “The team is in high spirits and everyone is stepping up at the right time. On top of the world to be honest, the way things are panning out.”
DC captain Axar Patel reflected on the conditions, indicating a preference for fielding first, hinting at possible advantages should rain disrupt play. “We’ve spoken about how we’ve been in a competitive position despite playing some poor games,” commented Axar. “We’ve been speaking about the positives.”
This match carries significant weight for both sides. PBKS can secure a playoff spot with a win, while DC need victories in all three of their remaining matches to secure qualification. A loss tonight wouldn’t completely dash their hopes, as other results could still play in their favour.
Delhi Capitals’ XI: Faf du Plessis, KL Rahul (wk), Abishek Porel, Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel (capt), Tristan Stubbs, Madhav Tiwari, Mitchell Starc, Dushmantha Chameera, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan.
DC Bench: Ashutosh Sharma, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mukesh Kumar, Vipraj Nigam, Tripurna Vijay.
Punjab Kings’ XI: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Josh Inglis, Shreyas Iyer (capt), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh.
PBKS Bench: Vijaykumar Vyshak, Harpreet Brar, Suryansh Shedge, Pravin Dubey, Yash Thakur.
Both teams are aware of the high stakes as they head into this crucial encounter in the Indian Premier League.
