New Chandigarh, April 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) — Punjab Kings (PBKS) don win the toss and choose to bat first against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the Match 22 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. After winning their first two matches, Punjab suffered a big loss of 50 runs to Rajasthan Royals in their last game.
Captain Shreyas Iyer express confidence in the bowling line-up, believing they can defend the total on the pitch. He said, “We are going to bat first because our batting line-up is strong and we need to make the best use of it. Dew wasn’t much of a factor last match, but we have to back our strengths.” Iyer also confirmed that the team will maintain the same playing XI.
On the other hand, CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad mentioned their intention to bat first too, describing the pitch as “dry.” Gaikwad noted that despite their tough position, having lost three games in a row, they have strong openers like Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway who will set the stage.
After their recent defeat to Delhi Capitals at Chepauk, CSK coach Stephen Fleming indicated they are reconsidering batting positions. Despite previous criticisms, Gaikwad stated that batting at No. 3 allows him to provide balance to the team. “I think batting at three helps the team adapt better,” he said, reflecting on the previous matches where they conceded big runs.
The teams lined up unchanged: Punjab Kings retained their starting XI of Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (capt), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, and Lockie Ferguson. Their impact subs are Suryansh Shedge, Yash Thakur, Praveen Dubey, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Vyshak Vijaykumar.
Chennai Super Kings will rely on their line-up of Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk), R. Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Khaleel Ahmed, and Matheesha Pathirana, with substitutes including Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Rahul Tripathi, Deepak Hooda, and Anshul Kamboj.
As the match kicks off, CSK’s recent struggles and contrasting fortunes of Punjab set the stage for an exciting battle. Fans anticipate whether Punjab can bounce back after their last defeat and if Chennai can finally secure a win after a dismal run.
