3 reasons why PBKS can win IPL 2025

Punjab Kings (PBKS) are one of the few Indian Premier League franchises who have never lifted the title. They will be keen on altering their story in this campaign.

Having roped in the Kolkata Knight Riders' IPL 2024 championship-winning captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting, the Mohali-based side seem to spare no effort to be competitive and fight for the top spot this season.

PBKS made headwaves in the mega auction when they picked up a lot of Australian players in their squad, and many attributed it to the presence of coach Ponting, who too is Australian. However, their strategy became clearer as the auction progressed - they wished to strengthen their all-rounder department, and by the end of the event, had managed to ydo so successfully.

An all-rounder is a vital component of a T20 team, and PBKS have recognised the importance of the position. Now that they have enough players who can step up and deliver from them in crunch situations, all that remains is for the latter to stay true to their word. The owners, deprived of glory of any kind, seem desperate, and now would be a good time for the players to repay their faith.

In this listicle, we take a look at three reasons why PBKS can win IPL 2025:

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#3 Presence of several T20 specialists

One of the biggest reasons why PBKS look like a threatening side this season is the presence of several T20 specialists in their squad. The likes of Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Shashank Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai, Josh Inglis, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Lockie Ferguson are bound to add a lot of weight in their squad this season, and give them an edge over their opponents.

These players have consistently shown that they have what it takes to perform under pressure in T20 cricket, and have developed skillsets that cater specifically to this format of the sport.

The presence of head coach Ricky Ponting too is bound to give PBKS an advantage as he is a seasoned campaigner and knows exactly what to do in the IPL. Having played for and coached the likes of Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals, the Tasmanian has roped in a lot of familiar faces (read Australian) in the PBKS squad this season hell-bent on lifting the IPL trophy.

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#2 Power-packed group of all-rounders

PBKS packed themselves with a lot of big-hitting all-rounders in the mega auction held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in November 2024. There are few teams in the IPL who can boast of having the likes of Maxwell, Stoinis, Omarzai, Singh, Aaron Hardie, Marco Jansen, and Pravin Dubey in their ranks; this group of all-rounders will be expected to deliver whenever their team is under pressure.

Although several all-rounders in the squad are overseas players, they will be expected to make it to the playing XI because of the presence of only Indian pure batters. PBKS went into the auction with the strategy of investing on all-rounders, and they managed to do so quite comfortably. Now, it is the task of their captain Shreyas Iyer and coach Ponting to make these combinations work.

In the bowling department, Lockie Ferguson and Xavier Bartlett are the only overseas players, and it has become extremely clear that PBKS' strength lies solely in the all-rounder's department. Wicketkeeper-batters Prabhsimran Singh and Josh Inglis will be expected to chip in with their power hitting, but the sole responsibility lies with their all-rounders in this campaign.

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#1 The experience of a title-winning captain

With Shreyas Iyer helming them, PBKS look like a sure-shot match-winning side. The India middle-order batter, who finished the recently concluded ICC Champions Trophy as its second-highest run-getter (243), is high on confidence. He will be expected to deliver the goods from the first match onwards for PBKS.

Iyer was the captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders when they won their third IPL title by beating the SunRisers Hyderabad in the final of the 2024 edition. He was roped in by PBKS in the mega auction held in November last year, and this was praised as a masterstroke by almost everyone concerned in international cricket.

Iyer will bring a lot of experience as well as tactical nous to PBKS in this campaign and prove to be the focal point around which the team revolves. The Mumbai-born batter, along with coach Ponting, will devise strategies that will plot the downfall of their opponents. His experience as an IPL-winning captain will count a lot this season.