Ahead Of Crucial IPL 2025 Tie, Punjab Kings Suffer Hammer Blow, Shreyas Iyer's Side Set To Miss Key Players Against Rajasthan Royals

Punjab Kings' IPL 2025 playoff hopes still has't faded out. Shreyas Iyer's side is currently in the 3rd place with 15 points and will take on the Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on May 18, Sunday.

PBKS have been very impressive this season and their 11-year wait to get into the IPL playoffs might finally end. They are one of the four IPL teams not to have lifted the IPL title, and under Ricky Ponting's guidance, they are adamant to end their IPL trophy drought.

Punjab Kings To Miss Star Duo Against Rajasthan Royals

Following a brief halt, the IPL 2025 has resumed, but a lot of foreign players are yet to report for duty. Ahead of the Rajasthan Royals tie, PBKS bowling coach James Hopes confirmed Marcus Stoinis and Josh Inglis won't be available for the next game.

As quoted by India Today, he said, "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."

Also Read: Will Eden Gardens Lose The Privilege Of Hosting The IPL 2025 Final? Sourav Ganguly Says 'Everything Will Be Sorted'

Punjab Kings Have Been The Team To Beat In IPL 2025

Punjab need two wins from their remaining three matches to guarantee a playoff spot. If they win all three matches, they could finish in the top two and will be directly involved in Qualifier 1. Even one win in the remaining IPL 2025 game could be sufficient for them, should all the other factors favour them.

Also Read: Amid Test Captaincy Debate, Former India Star Endorses Shubman Gill's Leadership Skills: 'He Has Been Fantastic As GT Captain'

Rajasthan have already been eliminated from the playoffs race and given their current form, it shouldn't be a tough challenge for Iyer's side. They have largely been consistent throughout the IPL 2025 and have emerged as one of the contenders for the title this time around.