Key Points

Yuzvendra Chahal's return bolsters Punjab Kings as they face Mumbai Indians in the crucial IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 match. Skipper Shreyas Iyer strategically opts to bowl first, capitalizing on the overcast conditions. Conversely, Hardik Pandya expresses a preference to bowl first as well, but acknowledges the batting conditions. The winner of this thrilling encounter will earn a spot against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the upcoming final.

Key Points: Chahal Returns for Punjab Kings Against MI in IPL 2025 Showdown

  • Yuzvendra Chahal replaces Harpreet Brar in PBKS lineup
  • Reece Topley subs in for injured Richard Gleeson for MI
  • PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer chooses to bowl first due to conditions
3 min read

IPL 2025: Topley replaces Gleeson, Chahal comes in as PBKS elect to bowl first against MI

Yuzvendra Chahal returns as Punjab Kings bowl first against Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 clash.

"The environment in the dressing room is top-notch at the moment. - Shreyas Iyer"

Ahmedabad, June 1

Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is back for Punjab Kings as skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bowl first against Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday. The winner of this clash will meet Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final on Tuesday.

Chahal last played for PBKS in their league stage clash against Rajasthan Royals on May 18, before a right wrist injury kept him on the sidelines, including in the side’s crushing eight-wicket loss to RCB in the Qualifier 1 in New Chandigarh. He now comes into the Qualifier 2 clash in place of left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar.

With PBKS bowling first, they have added pacer Vyshak Vijaykumar into the playing eleven in place of Prabhsimran Singh, who will now come in as the impact player during the chase. Iyer stated that the overcast and windy conditions played a part in him electing to bowl first.

“The wickets was also under covers yesterday. It's a fresh day, we've recovered pretty well, rejuvenated and our mindset is to go out there and win. Boys are in high spirits, everyone's thinking positive. The environment in the dressing room is top-notch at the moment, so I can't complain much,” he said.

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya said he also wanted to bowl, while adding that left-arm pacer Reece Topley comes in for Richard Gleeson, who picked a niggle during their 20-run win over Gujarat Titans’ in the Eliminator in New Chandigarh.

“Looks like a decent track, just need to bat well, assess the conditions early and I think we'll be okay. It (pitch) has gotten much flatter, the balls have stopped doing as much as it used to do. If you bowl well, fast bowlers tend to get some help.”

“At the same point of time, if you bat well, you can score a lot of runs. There are a lot of areas where we could have got better in the last game. Playing a tight crucial game, one day break, it's tough but we are into a rhythm and we know what we need to execute.”

“We came very early morning after the game, we needed some rest, most of the guys focused on recovery and being fresh for today. The intensity will be very important and we're looking forward to it,” he said.

Playing XIs

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (captain), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Raj Bawa, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, and Reece Topley

Impact Substitutes: Ashwani Kumar, Krishnan Shrijith, Raghu Sharma, Robin Minz, and Bevon Jacobs

Punjab Kings: Priyansh Arya, Josh Inglis (wk), Shreyas Iyer (captain), Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai, Kyle Jamieson, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, and Yuzvendra Chahal

Impact Substitutes: Prabhsimran Singh, Praveen Dubey, Suryansh Shedge, Xavier Bartlett, and Harpreet Brar

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
Finally Chahal is back! PBKS really missed his magic in the middle overs. Hope his wrist has healed properly 🤞 This is going to be a cracking match - MI's batting vs PBKS bowling. May the best team win! #IPL2025
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Priya M.
Interesting decision to bowl first. The pitch at Motera can be tricky - sometimes the dew factor comes into play later. But with Bumrah and Topley, MI's bowling looks dangerous too. Excited for this clash of titans!
A
Arjun S.
PBKS management needs to be more consistent with team selection. Why drop Brar after just one bad match? He was brilliant throughout the season. Hope this decision doesn't backfire. #IPL2025
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Sneha P.
MI vs PBKS is always an emotional match for me as a Mumbaikar living in Punjab! 😅 Just hoping for good cricket and no last-over heartbreaks this time. Both teams deserve to be in finals after their performances this season.
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Vikram J.
The real battle will be Chahal vs SKY! That's worth the ticket price alone. Also good to see young Indian talents like Naman Dhir getting chances in crucial matches. IPL continues to be the best platform for our domestic players.
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Neha R.
Why is Hardik still captaining MI? Rohit's leadership was much better. The team looks unsettled under him. Hope they don't lose because of poor captaincy decisions again. #BringBackRohitAsCaptain

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