"You people didn't keep him, and then no one kept him" - Aakash Chopra on the openers' battle in PBKS vs MI IPL 2025 Qualifier 2

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that Jonny Bairstow would want to prove his worth in the IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 between the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Punjab Kings (PBKS). He pointed out that PBKS didn't retain or buy back the England opener despite a match-winning contribution last season, with no other team acquiring him at the auction either.

MI and PBKS will lock horns in the third playoff game of IPL 2025 in Ahmedabad on Sunday, June 1. While Hardik Pandya and company beat the Gujarat Titans (GT) by 20 runs in the Eliminator in New Chandigarh on May 30, the Shreyas Iyer-led side suffered an eight-wicket loss against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Qualifier 1 at the same venue a day earlier.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener reflected on the openers' battle in the IPL 2025 Qualifier 2. He noted that while Rohit Sharma will be in pursuit of a seventh IPL trophy, Bairstow will want to prove to his former franchise that they erred in not sticking with him.

"Rohit Sharma is coming after scoring runs. Who will ask now about the two lives he got? Luck might be in your favor, but you need to bat well after that, which he did. Jonny Bairstow has just fitted in seamlessly. He went and started hitting fours and sixes. He was the aggressor in the opening partnership," Chopra said (4:30).

"This is the phone moment for Jonny Bairstow as well, just like Sam Curran did. He used to be in your team, but you didn't think about him, although he scored a hundred in a 262-run chase against KKR last year. However, you people didn't keep him, and then no one kept him. So he has a point to prove. Rohit just wants to win one more trophy," he added.

Rohit Sharma has amassed 410 runs at a strike rate of 150.18 in 14 innings in IPL 2025. Jonny Bairstow smashed a 22-ball 47 in the Eliminator, the only game he has played this season.

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"They are young, fearless, and carefree" - Aakash Chopra on Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya ahead of PBKS vs MI IPL 2025 Qualifier 2

Prabhsimran Singh (517) and Priyansh Arya (431) are PBKS' highest and third-highest run-getters, respectively, in IPL 2025. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya bring a youthful and fearless approach at the top of the Punjab Kings' batting lineup.

"Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya - they are young, fearless, and carefree. Last time, Priyansh Arya scored 62 runs against this team as well. Another good stat is that they win whenever either of the two scores 45 or more. They didn't score in the last match, so the team lost," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator opined that the PBKS openers' performance could hold the key to their success.

"When Punjab played against Mumbai, one of them scored, so the team won. It's absolutely black and white. So one of the two needs to play well. Prabhsimran Singh has tapered off more. Priyansh Arya got out early in the last match, but scored 62 runs in the game before that. Experience is less, but they have a lot of potential," Chopra observed.

To conclude, Aakash Chopra noted that the opening battle in the IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 is between pedigree and potential. He added that it's a tricky call to choose between the two opening pairs.