Yuzvendra Chahal’s absence in the last match against Delhi Capitals raised a lot of eyebrows. Punjab Kings assistant coach Sunil Joshi has now revealed the reason. Chahal was rested and not dropped after he picked up a niggle. He is likely to miss the crucial PBKS vs MI match as well as Punjab want him fit for the playoffs. The match will decide whether PBKS will play the Qualifier 1 or the Eliminator.
“Chahal has a small niggle, so we are just resting him. That’s the idea,” Sunil Joshi said at the pre-match press conference.
Yuzvendra Chahal in IPL 2025
Although not at his best, Yuzvendra Chahal is crucial for Punjab Kings in the IPL 2025 playoffs. PBKS have qualified for the playoffs after a long 11 years.
Chahal has picked up 14 wickets in 12 matches with an economy rate of 9.56. He also bagged a hat-trick. While he hasn’t set the stage on fire, Harpreet Brar made up for him, bagging 9 wickets in 5 innings.
However, Chahal’s experience will be crucial as he is still Punjab’s lead spinner in IPL 2025. Without him, Punjab’s spin attack lacked edge against Delhi as they lost the game by 6 wickets. The 34-year-old leg-spinner played through a shoulder injury in the early stages of IPL 2025.
| Year | Mat | WKTS | Best | Econ | 4W | 5W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12 | 14 | 4/28 | 9.57 | 2 | 0 |
| 2024 | 15 | 18 | 3/11 | 9.41 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 14 | 21 | 4/17 | 8.18 | 3 | 0 |
| 2022 | 17 | 27 | 5/40 | 7.75 | 1 | 1 |
| 2021 | 15 | 18 | 3/11 | 7.05 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 15 | 21 | 3/18 | 7.08 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 14 | 18 | 4/38 | 7.82 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018 | 14 | 12 | 2/22 | 7.26 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 13 | 14 | 3/16 | 7.65 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 13 | 21 | 4/25 | 8.15 | 1 | 0 |
| 2015 | 15 | 23 | 3/40 | 8.86 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | 14 | 12 | 2/17 | 7.01 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | 0/34 | 8.50 | 0 | 0 |
| Overall | 172 | 219 | 5/40 | 7.94 | 8 | 1 |
Marco Jansen leaves for WTC
Punjab Kings will also be without Marco Jansen in the PBKS vs MI clash. Jansen was supposed to leave for the WTC Final as his NOC expired on May 25. In his absence, PBKS will have to rely on Kyle Jamieson, who came in as a replacement for injured Lockie Ferguson.
However, captain Shreyas Iyer can breathe a sigh of relief as Marcus Stoinis, Xavier Bartlette, Aaron Hardie, and Josh Inglis are all back. They will be available for the playoffs. With Mitchell Owen also available, PBKS still have a strong squad.
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