IPL 2025: Why are Axar Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal not playing in PBKS vs DC Match 66?

Axar Patel has been left out of the team for Match 66 between the Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Delhi Capitals (DC), which will be played on May 24 at Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

PBKS has already qualified for the IPL 2025 playoffs and will be seeking for a win to climb to the top of the points table. DC, on the other hand, is out of the competition and will look to finish strong by winning their last league encounter.

Toss Update

DC skipper Faf du Plessis won the toss and elected to bowl first. He stated that the team has included an extra batter to strengthen the batting as they are aiming to finish at the fifth spot in the IPL 2025 points table. Meanwhile, PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer acknowledged that the job is not yet complete for his team and emphasised the importance of seizing every possible opportunity as the race for top-two heats up.

Yuzvendra Chahal misses out for PBKS

Axar Patel continues to sit out due to illness, which means Faf du Plessis stood in once again as the captain for Delhi Capitals. DC have brought in Sediqullah Atal and Karun Nair while leaving out Abishek Porel. For PBKS, Josh Inglis and Marcus Stoinis returned to the playing XI while Yuzvendra Chahal, Mitchell Owen, and Xavier Bartlett miss out for the clash against DC.

What did the captains say?

Faf du Plessis, DC captain

We will have a bowl. I think today it is 50-50. Just the make up of the side. We are playing an extra batter. It helps while chasing. It has been very frustrating. We started well. Then went on a roller coaster. We have played enough T20 cricket to understand. We played well in the last game for the first 17 overs. Then lost focus. We are playing for the fifth spot. We had our goals to get into top four.

Shreyas Iyer, PBKS captain

Defintely happy faces. I am not satisfied and content. We want to build momentum from here. Each and every individual is performing for the team. Job half done as of now. Important to stay in the present and seize every possible chance. Inglis and Stoinis come back into the side.

Playing 11s

Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Josh Inglis(w), Shreyas Iyer(c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh

Impact Subs: Praveen Dubey, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Suryansh Shedge, Kyle Jamieson, Xavier Bartlett

Delhi Capitals: Faf du Plessis(c), Sediqullah Atal, Karun Nair, Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs(w), Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Mustafizur Rahman, Mukesh Kumar

Impact Subs: KL Rahul, Manvanth Kumar, Tripurna Vijay, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Darshan Nalkande