New Malinga alert! Sunrisers Hyderabad signs Malinga 2.0
Punjab Kings Opt to Bat First Against Sunrisers Hyderabad
In a thrilling IPL 2025 encounter, Punjab Kings’ captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and chose to bat first against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Iyer expressed confidence in his team’s ability to post a strong score, emphasizing an aggressive mindset. Meanwhile, Sunrisers’ captain Pat Cummins acknowledged the team’s readiness for the challenge and made one change to their lineup.
Iyer’s Strategy for Punjab Kings
Shreyas Iyer, the captain of Punjab Kings, articulated a clear strategy during the toss. He highlighted the team’s recent performance when batting first and expressed optimism about their capability to set competitive totals. “We want to play some aggressive cricket, that’s our mindset at the moment,” Iyer stated. He also acknowledged the team’s struggles during the powerplay but urged players to focus on their individual strengths. Iyer emphasized the importance of consistency and instinctive play, reiterating the need for the team to back each other as they aim for victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Cummins Confident Despite Recent Challenges
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s captain, Pat Cummins, expressed a positive outlook ahead of the match. Despite facing a few losses in recent games, he stated, “I think we can chase anything.” Cummins made a strategic change to the playing XI, bringing in young pacer Eshan Malinga to replace Kamindu Mendis. He noted that the team has been training well and feels confident about their approach. With a focus on bouncing back, Cummins and his team are determined to turn their fortunes around in this crucial match.
Introducing Eshan Malinga
Eshan Malinga, a promising young pacer, has caught the attention of many in the cricketing world. Although he lacks the signature slingy action of his namesake, Lasith Malinga, Eshan is carving out a niche for himself as a reliable death-overs bowler. Acquired by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 1.2 crore in the IPL 2025 auction, Eshan was one of only two uncapped overseas players selected. Since then, he made his ODI debut for Sri Lanka and played in the SA20 league. Malinga gained prominence in 2019 by winning a fast-bowling contest in Sri Lanka, clocking impressive speeds. While he may not consistently reach those speeds now, his ability to swing the new ball and deliver pinpoint yorkers makes him a valuable asset for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Playing XIs and Impact Substitutes
As the match unfolded, both teams revealed their playing XIs. Punjab Kings featured Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Marcus Stoinis, Nehal Wadhera, Glenn Maxwell, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson, and Yuzvendra Chahal. On the other hand, Sunrisers Hyderabad included Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Pat Cummins, Harshal Patel, Zeeshan Ansari, Mohammed Shami, and Eshan Malinga. Each team also named a list of impact substitutes, providing them with strategic flexibility as the match progressed. For Punjab Kings, the impact substitutes included Suryansh Shedge and Yash Thakur, while Sunrisers had Abhinav Manohar and Rahul Chahar among their options.
Observer Voice is the one stop site for National, International news, Sports, Editor’s Choice, Art/culture contents, Quotes and much more. We also cover historical contents. Historical contents includes World History, Indian History, and what happened today. The website also covers Entertainment across the India and World.
