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

MI captain Hardik Pandya and PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer at the toss. (Video grab)

With a spot in the IPL 2025 final on the line, Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer made a bold call at the toss in Qualifier 2, opting to bowl first against five-time champions Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.Facing a do-or-die clash for a place in Tuesday’s summit showdown against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Shreyas explained his reasoning for putting 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 said. “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 player?The decision aligns with the conditions in Ahmedabad, where Pitch No. 7 — known for its even pace and flat surface — was used for the all-important game. Murali Kartik and Michael Clarke, analysing the strip before the toss, predicted a run-fest, calling it a “batter’s paradise” where 200-plus totals are par.Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya echoed Iyer’s view, admitting he would have bowled first as well.“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,” said 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 under lights might offer an advantage, especially with the venue’s dew factor in mind. With Ahmedabad offering true bounce and short square boundaries (61m and 67m), the match promised high-octane entertainment.

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