Punjab Kings finished as table toppers in the IPL 2025.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) underwent a major overhaul ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction, roping in one of white-ball cricket’s most successful captains, Ricky Ponting, as their head coach. The franchise made a bold call to retain two uncapped players while releasing several others, including India’s T20 World Cup 2024-winning pacer Arshdeep Singh, leaving fans and pundits stunned.
Entering the auction with the highest purse, Punjab made the biggest buy. They acquired IPL 2024-winning captain, Shreyas Iyer, who shared a good rapport with Ponting during their time together at Delhi Capitals. The decision paid off as the Iyer-Ponting duo guided PBKS to their first-ever IPL playoffs and Final in 11 years.
However, with the IPL 2026 auction approaching quickly, the franchise now faces a tough decision to plug gaps and address underperforming areas that were exposed last season.
Punjab Kings are likely to release several players before the IPL 2026 auction, expected to be held in December. Some failed to deliver in IPL 2025, while others did not get enough opportunities.
Before the IPL 2025 season, experts had predicted that Punjab’s success would hinge on their captain and overseas signings because of a lack of experience, particularly in the batting lineup. However, it was the uncapped Indian contingent, including Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Nehal Wadhera, and Shashank Singh, who contributed heavily. On the other hand, several big names, including Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell, flopped.
Stoinis, signed for INR 11 crore, endured a horrific campaign with only 160 runs in 11 innings and a solitary wicket at an economy rate of 12.35. Maxwell, returning to Punjab for INR 4.2 crore, once again delivered a disappointing season. He scored 48 runs in seven innings, averaging eight and striking at 97.95 before being ruled out due to injury.
Among bowlers, Pravin Dubey and Lockie Ferguson were expensive, conceding runs at hefty economy rates of 10 and 9.17. Meanwhile, the 19-year-old Musheer Khan featured in just one match. The Impact Player failed with a three-ball duck and snared a wicket.
Pyla Avinash, Harnoor Singh, Vishnu Vinod, and Aaron Hardie didn’t feature in any of the matches. This could prompt PBKS to release them and free up purse space.
While Punjab Kings will hold detailed discussions with captain Iyer and coach Ponting before finalising their lists, a few players couldn’t reignite their form in global leagues, failing themselves at a second chance to push their case. This can influence the team management to rethink their plans.
Despite being a high-impact player, Maxwell’s IPL numbers are inconsistent, with just three 400+ run seasons out of 14. His chemistry with Ponting has historically brought out his best, with IPL 2025 being an exception. Under Ponting’s guidance at Washington Freedom in MLC 2025, Maxwell led the side to the Final, but they lost by five runs. In 10 innings, the right-hand batter amassed 252 runs at an average of 31.50 and a staggering strike rate of 175. With the ball, the off-spinner claimed 10 wickets, averaging 18.40 and a modest economy of 8.36.
Recently, Maxwell hit an unbeaten fifty against South Africa in the third T20I before a magnificent hundred under pressure for his domestic side, Victoria, against Queensland. While his exceptional outings, backed by explosive batting and handy spin bowling, kept him in Punjab’s plans, Maxwell has failed to perform in the subcontinent.
After IPL, Stoinis also featured in the MLC 2025 but managed just 109 runs in nine innings at an average of 13.62, striking at 113.54. The Aussie all-rounder’s struggles continued with the ball in hand, taking eight wickets at 33.15 and a high economy rate of 9.42.
Stoinis bounced back strongly in The Hundred 2025, scoring 146 runs at 152.08 SR, taking 12 wickets. His exploits included an all-round brilliance in the Final, smashing 64 runs off 38 balls, and claiming two scalps. This performance earned him a recall to Australia’s T20I setup for the New Zealand series and will continue to feature in the upcoming home series against India. However, he’s running on thin ice. Stoinis has performed well in matches. So, if he fails again, he may not make it to the PBKS squad for IPL 2026.
The right-arm pacer was one of the trump cards of Punjab’s plans in the IPL 2025, particularly because of his ability to bowl at 145+ regularly. However, his stint was cut short due to a hamstring injury. Ferguson’s brief comeback at Washington Freedom yielded three wickets in two games at an average of 10.33 and a staggering economy rate of 3.87.
He carried the momentum in The Hundred, claiming seven wickets at an economy rate of 8.62. However, similar to the Australian duo, Ferguson’s inconsistency cannot be ignored. He has blown hot and cold, which may not be enough to cement his spot for the IPL runners-up.
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