3 player battles to watch out for in PBKS vs MI, Match 69 of IPL 2025 ft. Shreyas Iyer
The Punjab Kings (PBKS) will play the Mumbai Indians (MI) in their final league game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Monday, May 26, at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Both sides will look to fine-tune their combinations before the playoffs.
PBKS are one win away from finishing in the top two of the points table. They are currently second in the standings with 17 points from 13 games, including eight wins and four defeats. The Kings lost their previous match against the Delhi Capitals (DC) and will look to return to winning ways before the playoffs.
MI, on the other hand, have been on a winning spree in the second half of IPL 2025 after a below-par start. Led by Hardik Pandya, the five-time champions have played some good cricket and will look to continue the winning run before the playoffs. Mumbai are currently fourth in the table, with 16 points from 13 games.
An exciting encounter is on the cards as two top-four sides go against each other. On that note, we look at three interesting player battles to watch out for in tonight's game.
#1 Shreyas Iyer vs Jasprit Bumrah
In his first season as the PBKS captain, Shreyas Iyer has led the team from the front. He has amassed 488 runs in 13 games at a strike rate of 172.43, including five fifties.
Iyer is the lynchpin of the PBKS batting order, and MI leader Hardik Pandya will want to keep the former in check. Hardik might use his best bet, Jasprit Bumrah, to counter the Iyer threat.
The right-handed batter has scored 64 runs off 46 balls against Bumrah at a strike rate of almost 140 while getting out only once.
#2 Hardik Pandya vs Arshdeep Singh
The ace all-rounder is known for hitting those monstrous shots at the death and giving his team a flurry finish. Although he has not fired consistently, Hardik can change the course of the match single-handedly at any time.
PBKS will be wary of the threat and will look to use Arshdeep Singh to keep the ace batter in check. The lanky left-arm pacer has managed to contain Hardik, conceding only 13 runs off 22 balls while also getting him out once.
#3 Nehal Wadhera vs Mitchell Santner
PBKS all-rounder Nehal Wadhera has been the intent merchant for the team in the middle phase of the innings this season. The left-handed batter strikes the ball cleanly and scores at a good pace, making him a threat to opposition teams.
MI could use experienced left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner to get the better of Wadhera. The Kiwi cricketer can vary the pace of the ball according to the conditions, which gives him an edge over other bowlers.