Former Indian cricketer Varun Aaron was opened for Ahmedabad’s pitch before qualifying 2 between the Punjab Kings and the Mumbai Indians. Aaron believed that the surface of Ahmedabad would suit Punjabi batsmen.
The Punjab Kings were short in their first qualifying round against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and now have the chance to seal their position in the IPL 2025 Finals.
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Varun Aaron on the surface of Ahmedabad
Varun Aaron believes that Ahmedabad’s pitch is more suited to Punjabi batters than Mumbai batters, as PBK is most dependent on openers compared to MI. Punjab head coach Ricky Ponting will help the younger batsmen settle into a high pressure game.
“First of all, I think the surface of Ahmedabad is suitable for Punjab. It would suit both teams, but Punjab is like that. They rely heavily on both openers so I think it’s good that they qualified for the top two.
Aaron also believes that the younger team at PBKS saw the high pressure game, and now their nerves will settle for the second match. They got the advantage of finishing the league stage in a top two positions. The PBKS skipper also said he lost the battle rather than the war after his defeat in Qualifying 1.
Watch the video here:
🗣§The surface of the ahmedabad fits Punjab.” @varunaaron | #timeout pic.twitter.com/01bvt4r2ys
-ESPNCRYCINFO (@espncrycinfo) June 1, 2025
Tom Moody’s remarks about the King of Punjab
According to Tom Moody, the key to the Punjab Kings in Qualifying 2 is the speed at which they can bounce back by forgetting their final loss. The batting side of Qualifying 2 gives the PBKS camp a complete confidence and faith.
“It keeps them full of confidence and faith. And if they do it in good batting terms, they are undoubtedly competitive. But let’s face it, Mumbai will be red hot after a good performance in Chandigarh.
Mumbai is also red hot, but it looks solid in every aspect of the game. Mumbai’s experience in knockout games will have an edge over Punjab.
Punjab King’s Young Brigade
The Punjab Kings are the only side of the season, with four players scoring over 280 runs. Prabhsimran Singh scored 567 runs in 16 matches, and he is key to top-order Punjab.
Priyansh Arya, Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh also contributed to the bats whenever the team needed most this season. The core group of PBK is the strength of IPL 2025.