PBKS vs LSG Toss Update, IPL 2025: Punjab Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants Playing 11, Captain's Quotes, Pitch Report

PBKS vs LSG Toss, Playing 11 Update for IPL 2025: Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant opted to bowl first after winning the toss against Punjab Kings at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on May 4th, 2025.

After winning the toss, Rishabh Pant said: We will bowl first. We feel it is a bowling first. We don't know how it is going to play. Looks like, it will stop a bit. Little loose on the top. Still, a good wicket. It is going to be a good match. Bowling first we will have the advantage and see how the game unfolds and that's the kinda of advantage we were looking to have. Just trying to be simple more often. You want people to have conversation when you are losing. Good to see youngsters stepping in.

Meanwhile, PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer said: We would have bowled first as well. The wicket was covered for a while and it was pouring yesterday and the day before. It was under the sheets and you know the moisture it adopts to. The grass is thicker. I don't want to predict how the wicket is going to be. We are up for the competition. You gotta to take positives from the game. You can't dwell on how bad you have done in a particular game. It haunts you every now and then. We need to be in high spirits and keep motivating each other and see to it that we are enjoying each other's success. That's the culture and camaraderie in the team. Just keeping things simple. I know it is tough but that's the mantra. Stoinis comes in.

PBKS vs LSG Playing XIs

Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI): Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Akash Maharaj Singh, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Avesh Khan, Mayank Yadav, Prince Yadav.

Punjab Kings (Playing XI): Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer(c), Josh Inglis(w), Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh.

PBKS vs LSG Pitch Report

The pitch in Dharamsala typically offers a fair contest between bat and ball. While there's notable movement for the pacers early in the innings, especially with the new ball under cooler conditions, it becomes more conducive for stroke play as the innings progresses.

Recent history at this venue suggests a slight advantage for teams batting first. In the last four matches held here, sides setting a target have come out on top in three of them. One of the standout performances came last season when Royal Challengers Bangalore posted a mammoth 241-run total, with Virat Kohli playing a sensational knock of 92 runs.

On the flip side, defending modest totals is also possible on this surface. Chennai Super Kings showcased this by successfully defending 167 runs in a gripping contest, highlighting the pitch's tendency to assist disciplined bowling efforts even in lower-scoring affairs.