In the playoffs, Punjab Kings will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the first Qualifier match.
Punjab Kings Qualify for IPL Playoffs After 11-Year Wait
After a long wait of 11 years, Punjab Kings have finally secured a spot in the IPL playoffs. The team is playing under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer in the 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
After the conclusion of the league-stage matches, they finished at the top of the points table.
In the playoffs, Punjab Kings will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the first Qualifier match. Both teams will aim to win and secure a direct place in the final.
For this crucial match, Punjab Kings may have to make changes to their playing XI.
In the IPL 2025 season, both the batsmen and bowlers of Punjab Kings have delivered impressive performances. Among them, the most talked-about player is left-arm fast bowler Marco Jansen, who has consistently provided breakthroughs at key moments for the team.
However, Jansen is no longer part of the squad for the playoff matches as he has returned to his home country. This is considered a big setback for Punjab Kings ahead of such an important match. Azmatullah Omarzai might get a chance in place of Jansen. Additionally, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal could also return to the playing XI after missing the last two matches due to not being fully fit.
This season, two players have played a key role in Punjab Kings' batting lineup. One is young opening batsman Priyansh Arya, who has done an excellent job of scoring quickly during the powerplay. The other is wicketkeeper-batsman Josh Inglis, who has played at number 3 and maintained a brisk scoring rate from one end. Punjab Kings will be hoping for big performances from both of them in Qualifier 1.
Meanwhile, for RCB, Tim David has been ruled out due to injury, while Australia’s fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is likely to return to the squad.
Punjab Kings Probable Playing XI for Qualifier 1 against RCB:
Priyansh Arya, Josh Inglis (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer (captain), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kyle Jamieson, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh.
RCB Probable Playing XI for Qualifier 1:
Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Mayank Agarwal, Rajat Patidar (captain), Jitesh Sharma (captain), Krunal Pandya, Liam Livingstone, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood.
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