Punjab Kings (PBKS) were mercilessly trolled before the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) mega auction for having the biggest budget among the 10 franchises - INR 110.5 Crore. Fans said, as usual, PBKS will yet again botch up in the auction by splurging on big players, who will let them down as every IPL season. To be fair to those trollers, PBKS ended up splurging INR 26.75 Crore to get hold of their skipper Shreyas Iyer and INR 18 Crores on Arshdeep Singh within half an hour of the mega auction.
However, the only difference was that the above-mentioned two players ended up delivering the goods and have helped PBKS reach only their third playoffs in the 18 years of IPL. What makes their journey even more special is they have reached playoffs after a decade-long wait. In the past ten years, a lot of players, right from KL Rahul to Shikhar Dhawan, have led the side but have failed to make the last four stages. This year also, a lot of experts and fans had left out PBKS from the IPL Knockout stages. However, they defied all the odds and played as a unit, and now are just one step away from creating history, which has longed for them for 17 years.
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What was different about PBKS in IPL 2025 season?
Skipper Shreyas Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting gave ample amount of freedom to the players to play their natural games. Also, the duo boldly backed their young openers Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya, which was one of the catalysts for PBKS doing well with bat in hand.
The team also did not chop and change and believed in their players to come good across the season. The biggest example of backing was Glenn Maxwell, who struggled for seven games he played before he was out due to injury. The all-rounder was far from his mercurial best, yet he was backed to the core by the management.
Also Read: IPL 2025 Finals: All You Need To Know about IPL 2025 Closing Ceremony
Sarpaanch Shreyas Iyer lives up to his humongous price tag
Iyer - the second most expensive IPL player in history, had a weight of expectations on his shoulders to not only perform with bat in hand but also inspire his team with his dynamic leadership skills. Iyer lived up to both the lofty expectations and has thus become the only captain in IPL's history to have led three different franchises in the IPL finals.
It remains to be seen if the PBKS captain joins Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni to win IPL consecutive times. What makes Iyer's case even more interesting is that he has a chance at glory for the second time running in another franchise.
Highlight of PBKS campaign
Naturally, their epic win against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Mullanpur, where they successfully defended 111 - IPL's lowest score ever. Coming into that contest, PBKS had a jinxed record at Mullanpur, as they had never won a game in their previous five attempts. PBKS were headed for their sixth defeat at the venue, but star leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal spun a web and took three wickets to turn the match on its head.
KKR could not recover from the leg spinner's assault as PBKS ensured the Mullunpur jinx came to an end stunningly.
Stars of PBKS in IPL 2025
Priyansh Arya was the biggest takeaway. The southpaw was signed for INR 3.2 Crore. He was given a free license by the management to attack from ball one. The youngster lived up to his huge potential by scoring more than 400 runs in his debut IPL season. Alongside Arya, Prabhsmiran also finally arrived in IPL by showing consistency at the top.
The right-hand batter proved a perfect foil for Arya, as the duo terrorized most teams with their brutal assault. In the bowling, senior statesman Arshdeep Singh bowled exceptionally well in the power play. Chahal also chipped in middle-over wickets.
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Will PBKS break the jinx of winning the IPL 2025 Trophy?
PBKS had a golden opportunity to go in the IPL final in the Qualifier 0ne itself. But they botched up big time as they were completely outplayed by RCB. Batting first, the Iyer-led side could only score 101 runs. PBKS have a chance to avenge that loss at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, June 03.
If they indeed make history, then Shreyas Iyer will forever be revered by PBKS, and Ponting will again be a cult hero in front of his die-hard fans, and new-age cricket followers.
