Cricholic
“Change is the only constant”—a saying that perfectly resonates with Punjab Kings 2025 in the IPL. With 16 captains leading the side since the league’s inception, the franchise will see its 17th skipper take charge in IPL 2025. After a decade-long struggle to reach the playoffs since their 2014 runner-up finish, the Punjab Kings 2025 have restructured their squad and management, making bold moves to finally break their jinx.
The biggest headline this season? Punjab Kings 2025 acquired last year’s title-winning captain, Shreyas Iyer, for INR 26.75 crore—making him the second most expensive player in IPL history. They also appointed legendary Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting as head coach, hoping his tactical acumen will guide the team toward a turnaround.
Strategic Squad Overhaul
Punjab Kings 2025 made a surprising decision ahead of the auction by retaining only two uncapped players—Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh—giving them the largest purse among all franchises. This financial flexibility allowed them to make some marquee signings, including:
- Shreyas Iyer (INR 26.75 crore)
- Arshdeep Singh (INR 18 crore)
- Yuzvendra Chahal (INR 18 crore)
- Marcus Stoinis (INR 11 crore)
- Marco Jansen (INR 7 crore)
- Glenn Maxwell (INR 4.2 crore)
- Nehal Wadhera (INR 4.2 crore)
To further strengthen their squad depth, they brought in Josh Inglis, Lockie Ferguson, Harpreet Brar, and Vijaykumar Vyshak, ensuring a well-rounded team across all departments.
Aiming to End the Playoff Drought
Punjab Kings’ best finish in the last 11 years was fifth place in 2017. Their performances in the last three seasons have been underwhelming, with 17 losses in 28 matches, finishing eighth and ninth in the last two years. However, with Iyer as captain—who led KKR to the title last season and Mumbai to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy—Punjab hopes for a significant turnaround. His familiarity with coach Ricky Ponting adds an extra layer of stability to the squad.
Punjab Kings’ Full Squad for IPL 2025
Shreyas Iyer (c), Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Nehal Wadhera, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Josh Inglis, Aaron Hardie, Azmatullah Omarzai, Priyansh Arya, Pyla Avinash, Xavier Bartlett, Pravin Dubey, Lockie Ferguson, Musheer Khan, Kuldeep Sen, Suryansh Shedge, Harnoor Singh, Yash Thakur, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Vishnu Vinod
Support Staff
- Head Coach: Ricky Ponting
- Assistant Coach: Brad Haddin
- Fast-Bowling Coach: James Hopes
- Spin-Bowling Coach: Sunil Joshi
- Assistant Bowling Coach: Trevor Gonsalves
- Strength & Conditioning Coach: Adrian Le Roux
Best XII (As Things Stand )
- Prabhsimran Singh (wk)
- Priyansh Arya
- Marcus Stoinis
- Shreyas Iyer (c)
- Glenn Maxwell
- Shashank Singh
- Nehal Wadhera/Suryansh Shedge
- Marco Jansen
- Harpreet Brar
- Lockie Ferguson
- Arshdeep Singh
- Yuzvendra Chahal
Injury Concerns
A major setback for Punjab Kings is Lockie Ferguson, who recently suffered a foot injury and was ruled out of the Champions Trophy. The New Zealand pacer has been dealing with multiple injuries, including a hamstring issue during ILT20, putting his availability for IPL 2025 in doubt.
Key Players to Watch
Shreyas Iyer – The Captain with a Point to Prove
Despite leading KKR to an IPL title in 2024, Iyer was released and later reacquired by Punjab Kings in a bidding war with Delhi Capitals. With another Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy triumph under his belt, he’ll be determined to guide Punjab to their first-ever IPL trophy.
Glenn Maxwell – A Potential Breakout Season?
Maxwell returns to Punjab Kings, a franchise he previously excelled for in 2014, their last playoff appearance. Since IPL 2024, he has been in top T20 form, scoring nearly 700 runs at a strike rate close to 170. If he fires, Punjab could finally see a change in fortunes.
Punjab Kings’ 2025 IPL Schedule Overview
- Opener vs Gujarat Titans (March 25)
- First home game on April 5 (after an early six-day break)
- Busy mid-April schedule: 4 matches from April 12 to 18
- Final home leg in Dharamsala: Three successive games before the last league match in Jaipur
Home Ground Challenge: Can Punjab Kings Reverse Their Poor Record?
Punjab Kings have struggled at home in recent seasons, winning just one out of five games in Mullanpur and remaining winless in Dharamsala since 2023. Their home win percentage stands at a mere 14.28%—the lowest in the IPL. With a revamped squad, will they finally turn their home ground into a fortress?
