New-look Punjab Kings out to seek redemption

What's new with Punjab Kings in the new cycle?

"Change is the only constant in life," goes an ancient Greek saying - one that perfectly applies to the Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League. Since the league's inception, the franchise has seen 16 different captains, and with IPL 2025 approaching, a 17th will take charge. Having failed to make the playoffs since their runner-up finish in 2014, Kings are desperate to break the cycle. In pursuit of success, they have overhauled their squad, made a significant investment in last season's title-winning captain Shreyas Iyer, and brought in Ricky Ponting as head coach to steer the team toward a turnaround.

Ahead of the auction, Kings opted for just two retentions - both uncapped players - holding on to Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh. This decision left them with the largest purse among all teams, allowing them to make high-profile signings, even after splurging INR 26.75 crore on Iyer, the second-biggest buy in IPL history. They secured Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal for INR 18 crore each, along with Marcus Stoinis (INR 11 crore), Marco Jansen (INR 7 crore), Glenn Maxwell (INR 4.2 crore) and Nehal Wadhera (INR 4.2 crore). Additionally, they made several smart value buys - including Josh Inglis, Lockie Ferguson, Harpreet Brar, and Vijaykumar Vyshak, to name a few - ensuring a well-balanced squad across all departments.

Over the last 11 years, Kings' best finish was fifth place in 2017. The 2022-24 cycle was particularly forgettable, especially the last two seasons, where they ended eighth and ninth, suffering 17 losses in 28 matches. However, with Iyer at the helm - a captain fresh off title wins with KKR in the IPL and Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy - they have a proven leader. His past working relationship with head coach Ricky Ponting and the presence of proven performers in the set-up add more layers of stability, offering Kings renewed hope as they embark on yet another fresh start.

Full Squad

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: Ricky Ponting (head coach), Brad Haddin (assistant coach), James Hopes (fast-bowling coach), Sunil Joshi (spin-bowling coach), Trevor Gonsalves (assistant bowling coach), Adrian Le Roux (strength and conditioning coach)

The 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/Availability Concerns

Lockie Ferguson was recently ruled out of the Champions Trophy after a foot injury during a warm-up match. After a medical assessment, he was flown back to New Zealand to undergo rehabilitation. Earlier, during the ILT20, Ferguson had hurt his hamstring as well.

The player with a point to prove is...

Shreyas Iyer. It's not often that the captain who's won a title finds himself out of that team for the next season. Kolkata Knight Riders did bid for him initially in the auction, having released him earlier, but didn't go the distance, with PBKS seeing off competition from Delhi Capitals to rope in Iyer. The former KKR captain also tasted success with Mumbai, going on to clinch the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and he'll be keen to replicate the success for Kings and guide them towards the elusive IPL trophy.

A player who could have a breakout season?

Glenn Maxwell. It was in 2020 that Maxwell last played for the Punjab team, having had a love-hate relationship with the franchise. Incidentally, the last time Punjab reached the playoffs was when Maxwell had an excellent season, scoring over 500 runs at a strike rate of 187.76. In the 22 T20 innings he has featured since the conclusion of the last IPL, Maxwell has scored close to 700 runs, averaging a shade under 40 and striking close to 170.

Fixture build-up and run-in...

After playing their opening game against Gujarat Titans on March 25, Kings have an early six-day break in the season, and play their first home game only on April 5, two weeks after the IPL begins. They have a busy calendar in mid-April, having to play two away and two home games from April 12 to 18. It's a spaced out schedule after that, with the team shifting base to Dharamsala for their last three home games to be played in succession before their final league match - an away encounter in Jaipur.

A home ground stat to watch out for this season

14.28 - that's the win percentage for Punjab Kings in home games since 2023, the lowest among all IPL teams, with RR's 42.85 being the second lowest. Clearly, Kings do not enjoy a home advantage. They have won a solitary game in Mullanpur in five attempts and are winless in Dharamsala after 4 matches since 2023. Can they turn the tide?

*With statistical inputs from Deepu Narayanan