PBKS failed to qualify for the playoffs for 10 consecutive seasons and will look for a holistic overhaul in the mega-auction to turnaround their fortunes.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) is one of the few franchises that have yet to win the Indian Premier League (IPL) title. The last season (IPL 2024) was also far from what the PBKS management would have expected.
The franchise was rather poor throughout the marquee event and managed to finish in the ninth spot in the ten-team points table. Notably, the IPL 2024 marks the 10th consecutive season where the side has failed to make it to the playoffs stages.
Now, with the IPL 2025 mega auction scheduled ahead of the new season, the franchise will be looking to have a holistic overhaul in a bid to turnaround their fortunes.
However, with most players needing to be let go by the franchise for the mega-auction, it will be an interesting call for whoever PBKS decides to retain.
In this article, we take a look at the four cricketers who might get retained for IPL 2025 by the Punjab-outfit.
The England all-rounder is a value-for-money player since he can contribute with both the bat and the ball. Not only that, in the absence of regular skipper Shikhar Dhawan for some matches last season due to injury, Sam Curran also took over the captaincy reins.
Sam is also the franchise’s most expensive buy at INR 18.50 crores.
The willow wielder joined the Punjab Kings in 2021 for a whopping sum of INR 11.50 crore. The 30-year-old is known for his powerful stroke-play and aggressive approach to batting, making him a phenom in the shortest format of the game.
However, he looked his best in the IPL 2022 season when the English all-rounder scored 437 runs from 14 games. Besides his batting, Livingstone is also a useful off-spinner and a reliable fielder, making him a valuable asset in the team. With his explosive batting skills, he is expected to play a crucial role in the Punjab Kings’ campaign in the upcoming season of the IPL and the management will thus opt to retain his talents.
Despite PBKS’ dismal performance, Harshal Patel managed to clinch the ‘Purple Cap’ in the IPL 2024 season. The talismanic PBKS pacer took 24 wickets in 14 matches at an average of just under 20. His economy throughout the season was 9.73.
Bought by PBKS for Rs 11.75 crore, the 2024 leading wicket-taker award was the second for Harshal, who had claimed his first prize in the 2021 edition when he claimed a staggering 32 scalps in 15 innings.
Arshdeep Singh is one of the biggest positives in the PBKS lineup amidst their disappointing campaigns. Arshdeep finished last season as the second-highest wicket-taker for his team, right after Harshal. He took 19 wickets in 2024, with best figures of 4/29.
Arshdeep has also been part of the franchise for the last few seasons and has consistently done a good job. The lanky left-arm pacer is also now representing India in T20Is and was a key cog in the Men in Blue’s recent T20 World Cup 2024 win.
PBKS will thus not take a risk by releasing him and is likely to be one of the retained players for IPL 2025.
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