Dharamsala’s picturesque HPCA Stadium is hosting its first game of the IPL 2025 season, as Punjab Kings (PBKS) have invited the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to cross swords for the Match 54 of IPL 2025 on Sunday, May 04’s second fixture.
Toss Update
The LSG skipper Rishabh Pant won the toss and elected to field first as they made a solitary change to their playing line-up, whereas PBKS too made a change by dropping Harpreet Brar, despite the cricketer having all-round capabilities.
Akash Singh in for LSG, Shreyas Iyer skips Harpreet Brar from Playing 11
At the toss, Rishabh Pant confirmed that Mitchell Marsh is their likely opening option alongside Aiden Markram for the Dharamsala clash. Akash Maharaj Singh has also been brought in by the Lucknow-based franchise in this all-important clash into the starting Xi. Iyer, on the other hand, has opted to omit left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Harpreet Brar from their opening combination. The player can however be used as an Impact Player later in the game.
What did the captains say?
Shreyas Iyer, PBKS captain
We would have bowled first as well. The wicket was covered for a while and it was pouring yesterday and the day before. It was under the sheets, and you know the moisture it adopts to. The grass is thicker. I don’t want to predict how the wicket is going to be. We are up for the competition. You gotta to take positives from the game. You can’t dwell on how bad you have done in a particular game. It haunts you every now and then. We need to be in high spirits and keep motivating each other and see to it that we are enjoying each other’s success. That’s the culture and camaraderie in the team. Just keeping things simple. I know it is tough but that’s the mantra. Stoinis comes in.
Rishabh Pant, LSG captain
We will bowl first. We feel it is a bowling first. We don’t know how it is going to play. Looks like, it will stop a bit. Little loose on the top. Still, a good wicket. It is going to be a good match. Bowling first we will have the advantage and see how the game unfolds and that’s the kind of advantage we were looking to have. Just trying to be simple more often. You want people to have conversation when you are losing. Good to see youngsters stepping in.
Playing 11s
LSG: Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Akash Maharaj Singh, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Avesh Khan, Mayank Yadav, Prince Yadav
Impact Substitutes: Ravi Bishnoi, Mitchell Marsh, Himmat Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Shahbaz Ahmed
PBKS: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer(c), Josh Inglis(w), Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh
Impact Substitutes: Vijaykumar Vyshak, Harpreet Brar, Praveen Dubey, Suryansh Shedge, Xavier Bartlett
