IPL 2025: Stoinis Replaces Maxwell as Punjab Opts to Bowl First Against Bengaluru
Click to start listening
Synopsis
On April 17, Punjab Kings have opted to field first against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2025's 34th match, shortened to 14 overs due to rain at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Captain Shreyas Iyer confirmed Stoinis stepping in for Maxwell as part of their strategy.
Key Takeaways
- Punjab Kings won the toss and chose to bowl first.
- The match has been reduced to 14 overs per side due to rain.
- Shreyas Iyer confirmed Stoinis replaces Maxwell.
- RCB has not won at home this season yet.
- The Bengaluru pitch is challenging for batting.
Bengaluru, April 17 (NationPress) Punjab Kings have won the toss and decided to bowl first against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the 34th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, which has been shortened to 14 overs per side due to rain that affected the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday. The batting power-play for both innings will consist of 4 overs.
Punjab Kings' captain Shreyas Iyer stated, “We will bowl first. It’s a good ground for chasing, and considering it’s a rain-affected match with reduced overs, we should have a clearer idea of how the pitch will behave, which was always part of our strategy. Stoinis is stepping in for Maxwell, and Harpreet Brar is included. It’s vital to position the right players correctly, especially regarding angles.”
RCB's captain Rajat Patidar remarked, “We need to be clever in responding to the conditions; we will give our best. The pitch is somewhat sticky, but it appears solid, and we aim to set a competitive total. The team remains unchanged, but I am uncertain about the impact player.”
RCB has experienced a rather peculiar IPL 2025 season thus far — perfect on the road with four victories in as many away matches, yet struggling at home with two consecutive losses. They return to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday night, aiming to end their home losing streak.
In contrast to its former reputation as a batting paradise, the Bengaluru pitch has become challenging this season, particularly for teams batting first. RCB’s batting coach Dinesh Karthik acknowledged that scoring has been tough, especially at the beginning of innings. In both home games, RCB lost the toss and had to set a target, scoring only 169 and 163 runs respectively.
Playing XIs:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Yash Dayal
Impact Substitutes: Devdutt Padikkal, Rasikh Dar Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethell, Swapnil Singh
Punjab Kings: Priyansh Arya, Nehal Wadhera, Shreyas Iyer (c), Shashank Singh, Josh Inglis (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal
Impact Substitutes: Prabhsimran Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Suryansh Shedge, Glenn Maxwell, Praveen Dubey
