Marcus Stoinis Shines as Punjab Kings Overcome Challenges in IPL 2025

Australian Players' Return Amidst Uncertainty

Several Australian players, including Mitchell Starc, returned home after the IPL 2025 was temporarily halted. However, an insider from Punjab Kings revealed that head coach Ricky Ponting successfully persuaded the Australians to remain when a ceasefire was announced. The team featured players like Marcus Stoinis, Jos Inglis, and Xavier Bartlett. Marco Jansen was the first to depart but paused his journey in Dubai.

Stoinis' Covid Struggles

Stoinis initially left but made a late return. There were speculations that the Australians might not come back due to their commitments for the World Test Championship final and concerns over missile threats. However, Stoinis clarified his absence was due to Covid. During a mid-match discussion, he shared,

"During the break, I had Covid, so I rested up and came back in. It's always different when you go in the end and in one mode. Think it's a good target. Think the slower ones were holding, unless I was swinging too early. The wind's coming in, worth using the breeze as needed. Fit to bowl if required."

Stoinis and Iyer Lead Punjab's Charge

Marcus Stoinis delivered an explosive performance, scoring an impressive 44* off just 16 balls, helping Punjab Kings reach 206/8 in their 20 overs. His late innings surge followed a solid foundation set by captain Shreyas Iyer, who achieved his fifth half-century of the season with a score of 53 off 34 balls, including five fours and two sixes. Josh Inglis also contributed with a quick 32 runs from just 12 balls.

On the bowling front, Mustafizur Rahman excelled with figures of 3/33, while Kuldeep Yadav (2/39) and Vipraj Nigam (2/38) provided essential breakthroughs. Despite some costly overs, they managed to restrict Punjab during the death overs. PBKS faced regular wickets but maintained a scoring rate above 10.