In a rain-affected, shortened 14-overs-a-side clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Match 34 of the IPL 2025, it wasn’t just the weather that surprised fans. At the toss, PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer made a bold call—he chose to bowl first, citing a desire to get a better read of the pitch under gloomy conditions. But the bigger headline came moments later: Glenn Maxwell was not in the starting XI.
The toss added layers of intrigue. As Shreyas made his decision to chase, he revealed that Marcus Stoinis would be replacing Maxwell in the line-up. The move immediately sparked chatter. With Harpreet Brar also slotting in, it was evident PBKS were tilting toward a more adaptable bowling-heavy line-up, clearly influenced by the reduced overs and overcast skies. Meanwhile, RCB’s Rajat Patidar shared his team’s intent to read the pitch quickly and post a strong total, emphasizing the need to “be smart” and adapt rapidly to the surface, which appeared hard and potentially conducive to stroke play.
Why PBKS left out the ‘Big Show’ Glenn Maxwell?
Maxwell’s omission was not due to injury or form, but purely tactical, as confirmed at the toss. With the match shortened to just 14 overs per side, PBKS needed explosive, in-form finishers who could make an immediate impact with both bat and ball in tight windows. Maxwell, though a game-changer, has had a quiet season thus far, and his recent struggles with consistency likely contributed to this decision.
Enter Stoinis—a dynamic all-rounder who offers a similar profile but has shown better rhythm in recent matches. Stoinis’ ability to bowl effective cutters and contribute quick runs made him a more tempting option for a game where every ball counts. The shortened format further lessened the need for middle-overs anchors like Maxwell, especially if the top-order delivered. Moreover, Brar’s inclusion added a left-arm spin angle to PBKS’s bowling attack, offering more control and variety, especially against RCB’s right-heavy batting line-up.
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Playing XI of PBKS and RCB
Royal Challengers Bengaluru XI: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Suyash Sharma
Impact players list: Devdutt Padikkal, Rasikh Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethell, Swapnil Singh
Punjab Kings XI: Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (capt), Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Josh Inglis (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh
Impact players list: Prabhsimran Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Glenn Maxwell, Suryansh Shedge, Pravin Dubey
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