Gujarat Titans, the 2022 winners, will open their campaign against a Punjab Kings side reinvigorated by new captain Shreyas Iyer and new head coach Ricky Ponting in Match 5 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.
Both teams are hoping to start their respective campaign on a winning note as Gujarat Titans hope to regain the title while PBKS will be aiming for their maiden triumph.
Having missed out on an IPL playoffs spot last season, Gujarat Titans are looking forward to an electrifying IPL 2025 season, with skipper Shubman Gill leading from the front. Besides Gill, they will be depending on a good performance by former England white-ball captain Jos Buttler, who was picked in the auction, Rahul Tewatia, Sai Sudharsan, Glenn Phillips, and Shahrukh Khan.
The Ashish Nehra-coached side has a very potent bowling attack led by Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Washington Sundar.
With a strong squad and meticulous planning, the franchise is focused on delivering both on-field success and an unmatched fan experience throughout the season.
We are excited about the squad we have assembled going into the season. The players are training well and everyone is upbeat to kick off the campaign with our home match here in Ahmedabad. We’re looking forward to another exciting season ahead.
With a new head coach at the helm in Ricky Ponting and a new captain in Shreyas Iyer, Punjab Kings have the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, and Marcus Stoinis besides South African allrounder Marco Jansen to propel them ahead. Iyer had led Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title in 2024 but was not retained. He has a lot to prove and coach Ponting will also have to make his mark after being relieved by Delhi Capitals.
With some powerful players in his squad, Ponting is all pumped up about the new squad built in this season’s auction and is backing them to lift the trophy this year.
The overall vision for this team is to win the IPL. I told the guys on the very first day when I joined the camp in Dharamshala that we were going to create and become the greatest Punjab Kings team that's played. That's the journey that we're on and that doesn't happen overnight. You've got to create that.
Ponting believes PBKS has the right balance of young and experienced players, which will be another key factor in ensuring their success in the tournament. Among the youngsters that can shine this season, Ponting picked Priyansh Arya, a very special potential opening batsman, Suryansh Shedge, and Musheer Khan, a spin bowling allrounder from Mumbai, as the potential stars that can shine in this IPL.
PBKS will bank on his overseas experienced players to set the right example for youngsters as the latter looks up to them. The two sides look equally matched and are capable of beating their opponents on a given day. In their last five head-to-head encounters, Gujarat Titans have won three while Punjab Kings have claimed honours in two matches.
Tuesday's clash between a new-look Punjab Kings and a Gujarat Titans side, which has retained its nucleus from the 2024 season and presents a settled look, will indicate what direction that rivalry will take this season.
Probable XI: Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Sai Sudharsan, Mahipal Lomror, Shahrukh Khan , Glenn Phillips, Rahul Tewatia, Washington Sundar, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj.
Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh, Josh Inglis (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.
