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After entering yet another season with uncertainty and slim hopes, Punjab Kings roared hard and cemented a place at the top of the IPL 2025 standings.
PBKS won nine of their 14 league games to reach Qualifier 1. (BCCI Photo)
After struggling for several years, Punjab Kings initiated another transition ahead of this year’s Indian Premier League. Following a disappointing last season, PBKS appointed Shreyas Iyer as the new captain and Ricky Ponting as the head coach, entrusting them with revitalizing a fresh squad and aiming to turn around their fortunes.
Shreyas Iyer Rises To The Occasion:
What unfolded was nothing short of extraordinary as Iyer’s team played an inspiring brand of cricket, starting with a comprehensive win over the Gujarat Titans in their opening game of IPL 2025.
Iyer set the tone with a magnificent 97 not out in a closely contested victory in Ahmedabad, signaling PBKS’ resurgence.
Building on this momentum, Punjab overcame the Lucknow Super Giants and achieved five wins in their first seven matches. However, a setback against the Royal Challengers Bangalore provided a timely reality check for Iyer and his team.
Despite their strong start towards the playoffs, Punjab needed to stay focused to avoid losing their way midway through the campaign.
Bouncing Back:
A rain-abandoned game against the Kolkata Knight Riders threatened to disrupt Punjab’s rhythm, but they rebounded with two consecutive wins against the Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants, bringing them closer to the playoffs. Punjab seemed poised to secure a top 4 spot early against the Delhi Capitals, but the match had to be rescheduled due to an unexpected blackout in Dharamshala caused by the military conflict between India and Pakistan.
After a week-long gap, Punjab broke an 11-year jinx by defeating Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur, reaching the playoffs for the first time since
Though elated, Iyer’s team knew the importance of securing one of the top 2 slots. A subsequent loss to the Capitals set them back, but they delivered a dominating seven-wicket win against the Mumbai Indians on Monday, May 26, cementing their place in Qualifier 1.
Iyer concluded the season with another crucial performance, scoring 26 not out to lead PBKS to victory. He topped the team’s run chart for the season with 514 runs at a strike rate of 171.90.
Star Players:
The opening pair of Priyansh Arya (424) and Prabhsimran Singh (499) played vital roles for PBKS, laying a solid foundation that the middle order, including Iyer, Shashank Singh (284), Nahel Wadhera (298), and Josh Inglis (73), capitalized on.
In bowling, Arshdeep and Jansen were heroic with 18 and 16 wickets, respectively. The pace duo was well-supported by spin twins Yuzvendra Chahal (14) and Harpreet Brar (10), contributing to Punjab’s all-around strength as they now aim for their maiden IPL crown. PBKS will face Royal Challengers Bangalore in Qualifier 1 on Thursday, May 29.
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