It was clear, that Punjab Kings bowler Marco Jansen would fly back before the IPL 2025 playoffs, and courtesy of that, Shreyas Iyer had to make the sole change in the playing XI for the qualifier 1 vs RCB. The team management drafted in, the best ODI all-rounder in the world, Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai.
PBKS Make Only One Change
What came in as a surprise was, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who last played on May 18, due to an injury, and was expected to make a comeback in the qualifier 1, was left out once again. That means, there is still no clarity as to when the bowler will regain full fitness.
Meanwhile, Rajat Patidar went on to win the all important toss and opted to bowl first. Iyer looked a satisfied man, over this decision, as he too wanted to bat first, on a wicket, that had seen three times teams winning after batting first, in four matches played.
Azmatullah Omarzai In
He said at the toss, “Would have bowled first as well. If you look at the record here, teams batting first have done well, so I am optimistic. They (the crowd) have been tremendous and you need such kind of vibration when you enter the ground and it gives us a lot of energy as well. The way they (openers) have been showing the fearless approach and the attitude has been brilliant.”
PBKS playing XI: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Josh Inglis(w), Shreyas Iyer(c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Kyle Jamieson.
Impact Subs: Vijaykumar Vyshak, Praveen Dubey, Suryansh Shedge, Musheer Khan, Xavier Bartlet.
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