Ahmedabad, March 25 (H.S.): Punjab Kings is fully prepared to start its campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. The team will play its first match against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on the evening of March 25.

Under the leadership of head coach Ricky Ponting and captain Shreyas Iyer, Punjab Kings is ready to make a strong impact this season. Before the first match, assistant coach Brad Haddin shared important about the team's preparations in a press conference on Monday evening.

He said, Our main focus is on ensuring that players step onto the field with complete confidence. We had a fantastic training camp in Dharamshala, where we got a chance to understand our Indian players even better. We have exceptionally talented players who will play aggressive and courageous cricket.

Regarding what Punjab Kings' opening pair will look like against Gujarat Titans' fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj, Haddin refrained from giving a clear answer, stating, We still need to decide who will open. We have players like Marcus Stoinis and Josh Inglis, who have performed this role well in the past. We need to focus on creating the right combination.

The Punjab Kings team, balanced with young and experienced players, aims to play aggressive cricket this season. Haddin said, We want our players to play cricket bravely and perform according to the circumstances. This is a new group that has players present for every need. Experience is available throughout the team.

The assistant coach also praised the team's strong interpersonal relationships, stating that it has been further strengthened under the leadership of captain Shreyas Iyer. He said, The atmosphere of our team has been created under the leadership of our leaders. We have a motivated captain in Shreyas Iyer, who has achieved considerable success in this format. He has united the entire team. The coaching staff and players are working with the same approach. We are playing as a strong group, and the credit goes to our captain's ideals and habits.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar