Why Shreyas Iyer opted to bowl first in high-stakes IPL Qualifier 2 against Mumbai Indians | Cricket News

With a spot in the IPL 2025 last on the road, Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer made a daring name on the toss in Qualifier 2, opting to bowl first against five-time champions Mumbai Indians on the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.Facing a do-or-die conflict for a spot in Tuesday’s summit showdown against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Shreyas defined his reasoning for placing MI in to bat first.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“We are going to bowl first. Slightly overcast and the wicket was under the covers as well,” Iyer stated. “It’s a fresh game, our mindset is to go out and win. The environment is top-notch. Yuzi comes in.”Who’s that IPL participant?The determination aligns with the circumstances in Ahmedabad, the place Pitch No. 7 — recognized for its even tempo and flat floor — was used for the all-important recreation. Murali Kartik and Michael Clarke, analysing the strip earlier than the toss, predicted a run-fest, calling it a “batter’s paradise” the place 200-plus totals are par.Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya echoed Iyer’s view, admitting he would have bowled first as effectively.“We also would have bowled first. We need to bat well and assess the conditions. It has got flatter. If you bowl well, you’ll get some help,” stated Pandya. “We came very early morning after the last game, and most of the guys focussed on recovery. Topley comes in for Gleeson, who has a niggle.”Both captains clearly anticipated that chasing beneath lights would possibly supply a bonus, particularly with the venue’s dew issue in thoughts. With Ahmedabad providing true bounce and quick sq. boundaries (61m and 67m), the match promised high-octane leisure.

Starting XIs: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 ChahalMumbai 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