After an 8-day suspension of IPL 2025 due to geopolitical tensions, the league returns — and so do the business end of the tournament. The Punjab Kings (PBKS) were cruising at 122/1 in 10.1 overs against Delhi Capitals (DC) when that game was halted. Now, with momentum momentarily stalled, Shreyas Iyer’s side will be eager to pick up from where they left off. A win against the Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur could put one foot in the playoffs for PBKS.
New debutant for PBKS at IPL 2025?
With the Aussie trio of Marcus Stoinis, Aaron Hardie and Josh Inglis unavailable, PBKS may hand a debut to explosive Australian all-rounder Mitchell Owen. The Big Bash breakout star has had a dream 2024/25 season, amassing 452 runs at a staggering strike rate of 203.60. His inclusion could bolster an already aggressive batting unit, particularly against RR’s struggling pace attack.
Left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar also comes into the conversation if conditions warrant more spin, but PBKS might stick to a pace-heavy formula at a venue where the ball generally comes on. RR have been one of the least effective pace attacks in IPL 2025, particularly in the absence of Jofra Archer.
PBKS’ top order — Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh — will be key in exploiting that vulnerability during the PowerPlay. With Sanju Samson returning for RR, Punjab’s bowlers, especially Arshdeep Singh and Chahal, will look to disrupt the middle overs where RR have faltered often this season.
| Category | Pace | Spin |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 4 | 4 |
| Wickets | 20 | 13 |
| Average | 44.1 | 43.15 |
| Strike Rate (SR) | 26 | 29 |
| Economy | 10.17 | 8.92 |
PBKS Predicted Playing XI vs RR
| Position | Player | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Prabhsimran Singh (WK) | Batter |
| 2. | Priyansh Arya | Batter |
| 3. | Mitchell Owen✈️ | All-rounder |
| 4. | Shreyas Iyer (C) | Batter |
| 5. | Nehal Wadhera | Batter |
| 6. | Shashank Singh | Batter |
| 7. | Suryansh Shedge | All-rounder |
| 8. | Azmatullah Omarzai✈️ | All-rounder |
| 9. | Marco Jansen✈️ | Bowler |
| 10. | Arshdeep Singh | Bowler |
| 11. | Yuzvendra Chahal | Bowler |
| Impact Sub | Xavier Bartlett✈️ / Harpreet Brar | Bowler |
Punjab Kings Squad
Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer(c), Josh Inglis(w), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Azmatullah Omarzai, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Harpreet Brar, Suryansh Shedge, Praveen Dubey, Yash Thakur, Kyle Jamieson, Xavier Bartlett, Vishnu Vinod, Aaron Hardie, Kuldeep Sen, Mitchell Owen, Harnoor Singh, Musheer Khan, Pyla Avinash
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