🏏IPL 2025 - Match 69: PBKS vs MI at Jaipur @ 7:30pm🏏

🏏IPL 2025 - Match 69: PBKS vs MI on 26th May 2025 at Jaipur @ 7:30pm🏏

PBKS squandered a golden opportunity to move to the top of the table on Saturday, May 24, as they lost to Delhi Capitals in a high-scoring thriller in Jaipur. The Shreyas Iyer-led side is stationed at No. 2 on the standings, having earned 17 points from 13 games. They will have one eye on the Gujarat Titans' clash against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday. The Titans have 18 points from 13 matches and are leading the points table. Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bengaluru are breathing down PBKS' neck with 17 points from 13 matches, but their net run rate (NRR) is lower.These three teams are fighting for the top two positions on the points table. However, the Mumbai Indians are also in contention with 16 points from 13 games. The Hardik Pandya-led side has the best NRR in the tournament. Thier six-match winning streak was snapped by the Titans but they snatched a vital win against Delhi Capitals to qualify for the playoffs.

Big Picture

When Mumbai Indians (MI) sealed their playoffs spot with a win over Delhi Capitals (DC) on Wednesday, a top-two finish felt like a distant dream. But the IPL's unpredictability has thrown the door wide open.

Back-to-back defeats for Gujarat Titans (GT), coupled with losses for Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their penultimate league fixtures, have cleared MI's path. Now, it's simple: win on Monday, and seal their top-two spot.

As for PBKS, they're in the playoffs after 11 years and if they win, they will become the first team to secure a top-two berth. The challenge, though, is the short turnaround. PBKS will have had barely 48 hours to recover from Saturday's loss to DC, when they failed to defend 206. Fatigue might be a factor, but so might familiarity, given they've played two straight games in Jaipur since the IPL resumed, and that intel could prove useful.

For Hardik Pandya, this has been a season of redemption. Having captained them to bottom place in 2024 and a string of defeats at the start of IPL 2025, Hardik's turnaround has been inspirational. Rohit Sharma has found some form while Suryakumar has been a model of consistency. Jasprit Bumrah, as always, has provided them a potent point of difference after returning from injury. And Mitchell Santner has been a massive addition to the team in his maiden season with MI.

For PBKS, Shreyas Iyer seems to have carried on from where he left off last year with champions Kolkata Knight Riders. He's been their pace-setter with the bat, but his faith in a young batting group - predominantly Indian - stands vindicated.

With both teams set to miss key players in the playoffs, Monday's clash may assume significance. A win won't just provide momentum; it'll offer them breathing space. In a campaign where one bad night can end it all, securing a top-two finish will mean earning the rare luxury of a second chance.

In the spotlight: Tilak Varma and Priyansh Arya

Tilak Varma has struggled for rhythm this season, striking at over 125 in just two of ten innings. Batting at No. 5 behind Will Jacks and Suryakumar Yadav, his strike rate against spin has dropped from 157 in 2024 to 130, often leaving MI with too much to do at the death. His run-a-ball 27 against DC in the previous game was a clear example, before late fireworks from Naman Dhir and Suryakumar lifted the total to 180. Monday is another chance to repay the faith in a high-stakes game.

In his maiden season, Priyansh Arya has led PBKS' batting charge with his formidable opening partnership with Prabhsimran Singh. But lately, his form seems to have tailed off a bit - he has been dismissed for single digits in each of his last three innings. The openers have been crucial to PBKS performance - they haven't lost when either of them make 45 or more. Can Arya rediscover his touch?

Team news and likely XIIs

Yuzvendra Chahal missed Saturday's fixture against DC due to a "small niggle", as per spin coach Sunil Joshi. ESPNcricinfo understands it's a wrist injury that'll likely keep him out of Monday's game too. But the team is optimistic of his availability for the playoffs.

Punjab Kings: 1 Priyansh Arya, 2 Prabhsimran Singh, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Josh Inglis (wk), 5 Nehal Wadhera, 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Marcus Stoinis, 8 Azmatullah Omarzai, 9 Harpreet Brar, 10 Marco Jansen, 11 Arshdeep Singh, 12 Praveen Dubey

MI are expecting several overseas players to depart after Monday's game. For now, Ryan Rickelton and Corbin Bosch are both available.

Mumbai Indians: 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Ryan Rickelton (wk), 3 Will Jacks, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Naman Dhir, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Trent Boult, 12 Karn Sharma/Ashwani Kumar

Pitch and conditions

In the last four matches alone, 200 has been breached in seven out of the eight innings. Batters have been unafraid to hit through the line, with dew favouring the chasing team, like it did when DC beat PBKS on Saturday night. The heat could be a factor with evening temperatures likely to remain in the mid-30s.

Stats and trivia

• All of Jacks' six wickets have been left-handers. With Arya and Wadhera in the PBKS top order, Jacks could be thrown in early as a favourable match-up.
• MI's only win in Jaipur since 2013 came earlier this season.
• Rohit has been dismissed by left-arm seamers four times - all in the powerplay - this season. PBKS have Arshdeep and Jansen to try and exploit that weakness.
• Shreyas is 31 short of equalling his best-ever run tally in an IPL season. His previous best was in 2020.
• Stoinis strikes at 297 between overs 17-20, the best among batters who've faced at least 30 balls this season.

Probable Best Batter of the Match:

Suryakumar Yadav has been in stunning form in IPL 2025. He is third on the list of leading run-getters in the tournament. The right-handed batter will be high on confidence after scoring a match-winning 73* off 43 balls against Delhi Capitals in MI's last game. Suryakumar has scored 583 runs from 13 innings at an average of 72.88 and a strike rate of 170.47.

Probable Best Bowler of the Match:

Pacer Trent Boult has been brilliant for MI in IPL 2025. He has 19 scalps from 13 matches at an average of 20.37 and an economy rate of 8.38. The New Zealand seamer will look to give his team early wickets with the new ball against the Punjab Kings.

Today's Match Prediction: Chasing team to win the match

What to expect: Contrary to the slow and sluggish pitches in previous seasons, run-scoring has been relatively more straightforward this season. The average score batting first this season is approximately 201, with the 200-run mark breached four times in six games. Both Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians have done that. With limited assistance for bowlers, it should pave the way for another high-scoring encounter.

Head-to-head: Mumbai Indians have had a marginal edge over Punjab Kings, with a 17-15 win-loss record. However, both teams have won five games each since 2019.

Punjab Kings

Injuries/Unavailability: Yuzvendra Chahal sat out of the previous game. His availability remains uncertain.

Tactics & Matchups: Yuzvendra Chahal has dismissed Hardik Pandya four times in the IPL and conceded only 71 runs in a 74-ball face-off against the big-hitter. If Chahal is available for the contest, expect some responsibility in the latter half of MI's innings

Mumbai Indians:

Injuries/Unavailability: There are no reported injuries or unavailability.

Tactics & Matchups: The in-form Shreyas Iyer will be a critical target. He has had a fair bit of success against MI's pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar in the IPL averaging 87 against them.