🏏IPL 2025 Match 54: PBKS vs LSG at Dharamsala @ 7.30 PM IST🏏 - Page 4

Pant says it is a bowl-first surface, which seems a little loose on the top, meaning it might be sticky at the start. He expects it to be a good match but bowling first gives them a bit of an advantage to see how the game unfolds. Acknowledges the importance of not letting the environment become too stressful and instead keeping it stable. Adds that it is good to see the youngsters stepping up.

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Rishabh Pant: We will bowl first. We feel it is a bowling first. We don't know how it is going to play. Looks like, it will stop a bit. Little loose on the top. Still, a good wicket. It is going to be a good match. Bowling first we will have the advantage and see how the game unfolds and that's the kinda of advantage we were looking to have. Just trying to be simple more often. You want people to have conversation when you are losing. Good to see youngsters stepping in.

Shreyas says he would have bowled first too, mentioning the pitch being under covers as one of the primary reasons for that decision, along with the grass looking a little thick. He reiterates the worth of taking the positives from each game and of motivating each other. Keeping things simple is the mantra. Stoinis comes in, Shreyas concludes.

Shreyas Iyer: We would have bowled first as well. The wicket was covered for a while and it was pouring yesterday and the day before. It was under the sheets and you know the moisture it adopts to. The grass is thicker. I don't want to predict how the wicket is going to be. We are up for the competition. You gotta to take positives. You can't dwell on how bad you have done in a match. We need to be in high spirits. That's the culture and camaraderie in the team. Stoinis comes in.

Dharamshala is a beautiful and picturesque ground.

The big news from the toss, apart from the fact that the hosts will be batting first, is that Bishnoi has been left out of LSG's bowling-first XI. With Marsh also among the subs, it is highly unlikely Bishnoi will play a part tonight, and that indicates LSG are expecting this pitch to aid the seamers, rather than the spinners, as was suggested during the pitch report. PBKS, meanwhile, have recalled Stoinis, who according to Aaron Finch, was nursing a back niggle and is now ready to make a mark.

Here are the Impact substitutes for both the teams:

Punjab Kings Impact Subs: Vijaykumar Vyshak, Harpreet Brar, Praveen Dubey, Suryansh Shedge, Xavier Bartlett

Lucknow Super Giants Impact Subs: Ravi Bishnoi, Mitchell Marsh, Himmat Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Shahbaz Ahmed

Teams:

Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI): Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Akash Maharaj Singh, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Avesh Khan, Mayank Yadav, Prince Yadav

Punjab Kings (Playing XI): Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer(c), Josh Inglis(w), Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh

Marsh: Certainly up for the challenge. We had a few days off. The first thought is it makes me feel old. Specially, the IPL you see these talented kids on show. Punjab have had a few of their own. Quite chilled this week. We have had fun. Trying to bring in energy into the game. I loved the opportunity to open the batting. Formed a good relationship with Aiden at the top.

Wadhera: The atmosphere here is good. The crowd is supportive. We had a pre season camp here. Ricky Ponting has helped us in our growth. We are taking it game by game.