3 times a player took a dig at Punjab Kings ft. Rishabh Pant

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) (formerly known as Kings XI Punjab) are one of the few Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises that have played in the competition since its inaugural year 2008. However, their record in the tournament is sketchy at best, with their best performance being a final appearance in the 2014 season.

The Kings are one of the worst-performing teams in the competition's history, having reached the playoffs on just two occasions. They have also ended up in the bottom half of the table in 15 out of the 17 IPL seasons. As a result, PBKS are not taken too seriously by cricket pundits and aficionados alike.

Over the years, it has so happened that cricketers have come to take cheeky digs at PBKS for a similar reason. Although they changed their name from Kings XI Punjab to Punjab Kings in 2021, their fortunes did not turn around. In this listicle, we take a look at three instances in which a player took a dig at PBKS.

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#3 Krishnappa Gowtham

Former Karnataka and PBKS all-rounder Krishnappa Gowtham made the stunning revelation ahead of the mega auction in November 2024 that he would not want to play for the franchise even if he got picked by them.

Speaking to Cricket.com, Gowtham mentioned that he was not treated well by the franchise and that there were a lot of things apart from cricket going on in the background. When asked which team he would least prefer to join, he took the Punjab-based side's name.

"I would say Punjab Kings. I'm just being very honest. The reason being, I never had a good experience with them. There are other things, just not about cricket. There are other things as well. It's not the way I would want to be treated as a cricketer," said Gowtham.

"I think there's a lot more. What I wear on my sleeve is (my heart) when I play for a team. It's always I give 100 percent more than 100 percent on the field. I never keep anything back. But, I wouldn't give more than 100 percent to Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) if they pick me," he added.

Gowtham has so far played 36 matches in the IPL, taking 21 wickets at an economy rate of 8.24. The former LSG player has also scored 247 runs with a smashing strike rate of 166.89. He eventually went unsold in the auction.

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#2 Virender Sehwag

Former India opener Virender Sehwag is another player who took a brutal dig at Punjab. The incident took place while Sehwag was commentating on an IPL 2024 game in which the franchise lost to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru by four wickets.

Sehwag mentioned on air that PBKS were the reason why his form dipped towards the latter half of his career. The swashbuckling opener had earlier played for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in the IPL but moved to PBKS in 2014.

In 2014, he did rather well, piling up 455 runs at an average of 26.76 and a strike rate of 144.44, taking them to their only IPL final so far. Sehwag even had his highest score of 122 off just 58 balls against the Chennai Super Kings that season.

In 2015, however, his form dipped alarmingly, scoring just 99 runs in eight appearances at an abysmal average of 12.37. What was even more shocking is that the former Daredevils batter hit just three sixes that IPL season.

"Jab main Punjab mein gaya tab mera strike rate gir gaya. Woh kehte hai na ke jaisi sangati waisa behave karte ho. Toh waha ki sangati waisi hi thi. Jeet te the nahi, khel te acha the nahi, toh mera game aur thoda kharab ho gaya (When I went to Punjab, my strike rate went down. There’s a saying that man is known by the company he keeps. It was the same with me. Punjab neither won anything nor play well),” Sehwag said while commentating in IPL 2024.

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#1 Rishabh Pant

India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who was named as the Lucknow Super Giants captain on Monday, January 20, took perhaps the cheekiest dig at PBKS. Pant mentioned that he was worried he might be snapped up by them at the mega auction last year.

The Mohali-based franchise had the biggest purse in the auction, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and snapped up India middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer for INR 26.75 crores. Pant, meanwhile, said that he kept his 'fingers crossed.'

Eventually, he ended up with LSG, where he was heralded as their new leader after the departure of KL Rahul last season.

"I only had one tension, that was Punjab. They had the highest purse. When Shreyas (Iyer) went to Punjab, I felt I could make it to LSG. There was a possibility. But eventually, with auction you never know, so I just thought I would wait and watch, and had my fingers crossed," said Pant (via Republic World).