BCCI Pays Special Tribute To Indian Armed Forces Ahead Of Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings IPL 2025 Game. Video Goes Viral

Both Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings players lined up for the Indian national anthem to pay tribute to the Indian armed forces ahead of their IPL 2025 clash at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, on Sunday. The RR-PBKS clash is the first proper match to happen after the resumption of the IPL 2025 on Saturday, following a one-week suspension due to the cross-border tensions with Pakistan. The Saturday clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Kolkata Knight Riders was washed out due to rain in Bengaluru without a toss, fading away the excitement of the IPL restart.

In a tribute to the Indian armed forces, who displayed their impeccable valour to protect the countrymen from the enemy, players sang the national anthem together to honour their valuable contributions before the start of the match. "Thank you armed forces" was the message being displayed on the screens of the stadium when the Indian national anthem was played.

Grateful to the Armed Forces.

Jai Hind#TATAIPL | #RRvPBKS pic.twitter.com/OOid23RDuZ

During the toss, Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer thanked the Indian armed forces for safeguarding the borders of the country amid tensions with Pakistan.

"Kudos to the Army forces who have worked for the country and made sure that we're in a comfortable position," he said during the toss after electing to bat first.

Mitchell Owen, Marco Jansen and Azmatullah Omarzai are the three overseas players featuring for PBKS.

For Rajasthan Royals, a fully fit Sanju Samson returned to captain the side, replacing Nitish Rana in the playing XI. Kwena Maphaka came in for Jofra Archer.

Playing XIs

Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Sanju Samson(w/c), Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Wanindu Hasaranga, Kwena