Punjab Kings to miss key players against Rajasthan Royals
What's the story
Punjab Kings will miss two of their key players, Marcus Stoinis and Josh Inglis, for the upcoming match against Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
PBKS bowling coach James Hopes confirmed the same during a pre-match press conference.
The duo is expected to return next week. Meanwhile, Marco Jansen's participation remains uncertain as he returned from Dubai on Saturday.
Here's more.
Team strength
Punjab Kings's squad depth reassured by hopes
Despite missing out on key players, Hopes was confident about the depth of the team.
"We do not have a complete squad. We hope that Marcus Stoinis and Josh Inglis join us early next week, but to be honest, I'm pretty bullish on the depth in our squad, like we have Mitchell Owens here. Marco Jansen arrives today, he has been training in Dubai. Outside of those two Australians and Aaron Hardie, we have got our full squad," Hopes said.
Tactical approach
Punjab Kings's strategy and player rotation
Hopes stressed that Punjab Kings have done a good job of rotating their overseas players this season, instead of just depending on Inglis and Stoinis.
He added that both players have missed a few matches during the tournament, showing the team's faith in its depth.
Stoinis has played eight out of 11 games while Inglis has featured in six so far.
Management choice
Punjab Kings's management decision amid IPL uncertainties
Hopes also explained why the Punjab management opted to stay in India despite uncertainties over the IPL's resumption.
"I was sitting in Delhi and then I was on a bus down to here. Myself, Ricky Ponting, Brad Haddin, and the rest of the management, we stayed because there was a chance that after the ceasefire that the tournament might get up and running on Thursday night. And for us to go back to Australia and come back again, I would have spent about 12 hours in my house so I didn't think that was worth doing," he concluded.
Clash
RR face PBKS in crunch clash
Match 59 of the IPL 2025 will see a clash between the Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on May 18.
The Royals have had a dismal season as they have managed just three wins from 12 games. They hence are also out of the playoff race. Meanwhile, the Kings are having their best season in a decade, winning seven out of 11 matches.
Information
Head-to-head record favors Royals
In terms of head-to-head records, the Rajasthan Royals hold an edge over the Punjab Kings. Out of 29 matches played between these two teams, RR have emerged victorious in 17 encounters while PBKS prevailed 12 times (1 Super Over win).