Weather interrupts playoff clash as rain delays start in Ahmedabad

Punjab Kings won the toss and opted to bowl first against five-time champions Mumbai Indians in what is a virtual semifinal clash at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, as the two sides battle for a place in the IPL 2025 final.

Punjab made a significant change, bringing back veteran leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal into the starting XI in a bid to strengthen their spin department. Mumbai, meanwhile, were forced to replace injured English pacer Richard Gleeson with left-arm seamer Reece Topley.

The stakes couldn’t be higher for Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings, who are looking to rebound from a demoralising eight-wicket loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1. That one-sided defeat has left the team rattled, and their dream of clinching a maiden IPL title now hangs by a thread.

Contrastingly, Mumbai Indians arrive brimming with momentum after dispatching the Gujarat Titans in the Eliminator. Their dominant all-round performance in that clash sent the pre-tournament favourites packing and reaffirmed MI’s reputation as the most formidable side in IPL playoff history.

With a legacy of success in knockout fixtures, Mumbai Indians, led by Hardik Pandya, hold a psychological edge. Their seasoned Indian core, featuring Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, and Pandya himself, continues to form the backbone of the squad. Each has delivered in pressure moments throughout the campaign, and MI will again rely on their consistency and composure in this do-or-die match.

Punjab Kings, on the other hand, will need to quickly regroup and find solutions to their bowling woes. The burden has largely fallen on left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh, who has been the standout in an otherwise struggling bowling unit. Coach Ricky Ponting and captain Iyer face the tall task of reinvigorating their side’s confidence and ensuring they execute better under pressure.

Mumbai also have reasons to be encouraged by the form of their newer additions. Jonny Bairstow has provided firepower at the top, while Gleeson, before his injury, offered valuable pace. Now, the responsibility will fall on Topley to fill that void and maintain the pressure on Punjab’s explosive batting order.

PBKS vs MI, IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 live updates: Full squads

Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, Tilak Varma, Bevon Jacobs, Robin Minz (wk), Krishnan Shrijith (wk), Naman Dhir, Raj Bawa, Mitchell Santner, Jasprit Bumrah, Arjun Tendulkar, Ashwani Kumar, Reece Topley, Karn Sharma, Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, Satyanarayana Raju, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Raghu Sharma, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Richard Gleeson, Charith Asalanka.

Punjab Kings: Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Vishnu Vinod (wk), Josh Inglis (wk), Harnoor Pannu, Pyla Avinash, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Harpreet Brar, Azmatullah Omarzai, Priyansh Arya, Aaron Hardie, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Mitch Owen, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Sen, Xavier Bartlett, Pravin Dubey, Kyle Jamieson

PBKS vs MI, IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 live updates: Toss

Punjab Kings opted to bowl against Mumbai Indians in the Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League here on Sunday

PBKS vs MI, IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 live updates: Playing XIs

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

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

This article first appeared on Mid Day