Courtesy: PBKS/IPL
Punjab Kings (PBKS), under their new head coach Ricky Ponting, went into the IPL 2025 mega auction with a big purse, and they managed to sign a plethora of top class players in all departments of the game. After retaining just two players before the mega auction, namely Prabhsimran Singh and Shashank Singh, the pressure was on the PBKS team management to build a squad worthy of winning their first title in IPL history, and according to some experts, they have done just that.
Throughout their infamous history, PBKS’ auction strategy revolved around building new squads time after time, but without any success, not making it through to the playoffs in more than 10 years. Although with a proven head coach Ricky Ponting and captain Shreyas Iyer at the helm, it could all change in a blink of an eye in the upcoming IPL 2025 season, slated to begin on Saturday, March 22. In this article, SportsTiger looks at three reasons why Punjab Kings are the team to watch out for in IPL 2025.
3 Reasons why Punjab Kings are the team to watch out for in IPL 2025
Acquiring IPL-winning captain Shreyas Iyer
PBKS broke the bank to sign Indian international Shreyas Iyer for a whopping INR 26.75 Crore, thanks mainly due to his great track record as captain in the IPL, apart from being a very impressive batter over the years. In the IPL 2024 season, the 30-year-old led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third title, while he had already captained Delhi Capitals (DC) to a final in the year 2020, coincidentally alongside head coach Ricky Ponting, and now, they will be hoping to go one better for Punjab Kings in the upcoming edition of the tournament.
Quality and depth of all-rounders
The team management at Punjab Kings found a way to bring in a lot of quality Indian and overseas all-rounders into their setup, and they will be spoilt for choices in regards to which player would make the playing XI in the first match of the IPL 2025. The likes of Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Aaron Hardie, Marco Jansen, Shashank Singh, and Suryansh Shedge add to the depth of all-round talent in the PBKS squad, which could come in quite handy at various stages of the league this season.
Recruiting proven performer in Yuzvendra Chahal
Apart from re-signing Indian fast bowler Arshdeep Singh after releasing him in the build-up to the IPL 2025 season, Punjab Kings made a big investment on leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who has been a proven performer at international and franchise cricket. During his illustrious IPL career, Yuzvendra Chahal has played for Mumbai Indians (MI), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and Rajasthan Royals (RR), but he has taken all of his 205 wickets in 160 matches for RCB and RR, and now, the 34-year-old has the opportunity to deliver the goods for PBKS, to make a case for himself as far as the Indian cricket team is concerned.
