'Shreyas Iyer’s men are truly the best team so far' - Matthew Hayden backs Punjab Kings to clinch Qualifier 1

Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are set to clash at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Chandigarh in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2025. While there will be a majority of fans who will be backing Rajat Patidar-led RCB to win the title, former Aussie cricketer Matthew Hayden has backed the Punjab franchise for the upcoming game.

The Aussie commentator shared his views on the Shreyas Iyer-led unit, as the franchise will be playing their first playoff game after 11 years. Apart from praising the powerful batting lineup and formidable bowling attack, Hayden has also praised the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, who has also been one of their top performers this season. Hayden reckoned that Punjab Kings have been the "best team" in the tournament this year and are deserving candidates to reach the final.

“Punjab too come into the playoffs not merely alive, but confident. Their win over Delhi was impressive and showed that Shreyas Iyer’s men are truly the best team so far. Their impressive wins have been constructed on a powerful batting lineup — their openers have been very effective — and an in-form bowling unit. Looking at the match-up between the two sides, it would be hard to not back Punjab. A big plus for them is experienced leadership,” the 53-year-old wrote in a column for the Times of India (TOI).

RCB and PBKS road to the playoffs

Both the teams have had a successful run in the tournament. The Punjab Kings (PBKS) finished at the top of the table with nine wins, four losses and one no result while RCB have an identical record but finished second on the points table due to their inferior net run rate as compared to the Shreyas Iyer-led side.

The team which wins the Qualifier 1 will qualify for the final while the loser will feature in Qualifier 2 against the winner of the Eliminator.