Seventeen seasons. Two playoff appearances. One of only three franchises to participate in every edition of the Indian Premier League without tasting championship glory. There’s enough between the words in these sentences to bog a team and its fanbase down. But not if you are Punjab Kings.
The last time the side made the playoffs, it wasn’t even called Punjab Kings. It was Kings XI Punjab. Priyansh Arya was just 13. Prabhsimran Singh barely 14. Arshdeep Singh? He was planning a move to Canada. Shreyas Iyer hadn’t made his First Class debut. And Yuzvendra Chahal was a fresh-faced discovery.
However, the struggling outfit got a shot in the arm with a vow on March 19 this year. An oath from arguably one of the greatest cricketers and sharpest brains: Ricky Ponting.
“The overall vision for this team is to win the Indian Premier League. I told the guys on the very first day at the camp in Dharamshala (that) we were going to create and become the greatest Punjab Kings team ever. That’s the journey we’re on and that doesn’t happen overnight. You’ve got to create that,” Ponting proclaimed ahead of the season.
From name changes to jersey overhauls, squad rebuilds to coaching staff shifts, even transfer in ownership — change has been the only constant for Punjab Kings. It has been a franchise with passion, but one that always stumbled when the going got tough.
Shreyas Iyer
| Photo Credit:
Sportzpics/IPL
The right mix
Ponting’s appointment on a four-year contract was one of a number of ‘big picture’ decisions the management made. The other was retaining just two players — the uncapped duo of Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran — and going into the mega auction with ₹110.50 crore to burn.
Within the first half hour of the exercise, Kings happily splurged 26.75 crore to land a proven captain in Shreyas, the man who led Kolkata Knight Riders to its third IPL crown in 2024.
The Shreyas-Ponting combo was tried and tested, with the pair previously working together at Delhi Capitals.
“I was desperate to work with Shreyas again. He’s one of the best players that I’ve worked with. He’s a great human being. He’s an IPL-winning captain. You couldn’t ask for much more,” said the Australian.
Punjab used its Right to Match option to retain pacer Arshdeep and also acquired the services of seasoned leggie Chahal, both for 18 crore each.
The franchise also brought in a number of well-travelled T20 stars like Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Josh Inglis, and Azmatullah Omarzai, among others.
A carefully curated young player pool – assembled by PBKS scouts who scoured the length and breadth of the country – made the cut. These unheralded stars have often been the difference between victory and defeat for Kings this season. On March 25, against Gujarat Titans, the cricketing world was introduced to the daring of 24-year-old Priyansh.
The left-handed opener emerged from the inaugural edition of the Delhi Premier League as its top scorer with 608 runs (two centuries, four fifties) in just 10 outings, striking at a staggering 198.69. He emulated a legendary Punjab batter — Yuvraj Singh — when he hit six sixes in an over en route an explosive 120 off 50 balls for South Delhi Superstarz against North Delhi Strikers.
Elevated to the big league, Priyansh made a jaw-dropping 47 off 21 balls (seven fours, two sixes) against Titans. He treated almost every bowler with disdain, the nonchalant six off a good length delivery from Mohammed Siraj a glowing example.
With wins in the first two games, Kings were flying high before being brought down by Jofra Archer and Rajasthan Royals. Priyansh was dismissed for a golden duck, and the Punjab batters struggled. Even a spirited resistance by Nehal Wadhera and Maxwell couldn’t prevent a 50-run defeat.
Much like his team, Priyansh saved his best for M.S. Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings who came calling. A sensational 103 saw Punjab counterattack after slipping to 83 for five. The five-time champion’s bowling attack was smashed for nine sixes all around the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium. Though the victory over CSK might look like it was all about Priyansh’s belligerence, it wasn’t.
Smart move
Super Kings pinned their hopes on Shivam Dube and his ability to negotiate quality spin in the middle overs, but Punjab made the Chennai side wait and wait by holding back its spinners. Only after the Mumbai strokeplayer’s dismissal was Chahal unleashed.
Despite the thriving youngsters, Arshdeep remained the catalyst in Kings’ early successes. His release ahead of the auction raised eyebrows, but he came back to the fold as new leaders took charge.
“Ever since I came to Punjab Kings, the elevation in my role and growth came pretty early. I knew that I could not mess up at crucial stages because at those times, not working as per the plan can put the team in serious trouble,” Arshdeep said while describing his role in the line-up over the years.
What worked for Kings was different players putting their hands up to do the hard yards.
It was Prabhsimran and Wadhera, against Lucknow Super Giants, who helped Shreyas hack down a 172-run target with close to four overs to spare.
That said, the hapless loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad – headlined by Abhishek Sharma’s remarkable 141 – exposed the side’s fault lines.
Finding form
Chahal barely had rhythm coming into the tournament and Maxwell continued to largely be a miss — one key cog struggling with the ball, the other fumbling with the bat. However, form has not stopped Shreyas and Ponting from keeping the faith, and it paid off quite handsomely against KKR.
You don’t often find tales of resurrection in T20 cricket when you’ve managed only 111 on the board. When the opponent has gotten to 62 for three in the eighth over, it’s easy to shut the book on the game. Chahal and Maxwell thought otherwise.
Chahal was at his stingy best, giving away just four runs in the ninth and 11th overs while also sending back three Knight Riders batters to peg momentum in favour of Kings. While an expensive final over – which saw Andre Russell smack him for a few sixes – tarnished his economy rate, his four-wicket haul proved to be the difference for Kings.
Chahal was ably assisted by Maxwell’s two-over spell where the Aussie allrounder gave away just five runs and took the prized wicket of Venkatesh Iyer to leave KKR in trouble. PBKS would eventually pull off the unthinkable. Against the very opponent it registered the highest chase in IPL history (262 in 2024), it managed to defend the lowest total ever in the tournament, bundling out KKR for 95. This result was more than just a win. It was about individuals rediscovering not just form but themselves.
Even Ponting, a man who has seen it all in his illustrious career, had a candid admission about the historic win.
“The heart rate is still up there. I’m 50 now, and wins like these are always the sweetest. And if you can pull this off, then it should be as good a win as most guys have been involved in. I’ve coached a lot of games in the IPL, and that might just be the best win I’ve ever had.
“At the halfway mark, not many people around the world would’ve believed we could defend that total. Credit to all the boys. They were terrific tonight.”
While tipping his hat off to his team’s grit in the fixture, he was effusive in his praise for Chahal, the league’s most prolific wicket-taker.
“What about Chahal tonight? How good was that spell of bowling! He actually had a fitness test before the game because of the shoulder injury he picked up last match. I pulled him aside during the warm-up, looked him in the eye and asked, ‘Mate, are you okay?’ And he just said, ‘Coach, I’m 100% right. Let me out there.’”
Kings followed the triumph against KKR with a decimation of RCB in a rain-truncated encounter in Bengaluru.
It was a ruthless showing with the ball, with Jansen and a rejuvenated Chahal leading the way as PBKS restricted RCB to just 95.
Josh Hazlewood’s resilience did little to prevent Kings, powered by Wadhera, to a five-wicket victory.
RCB turned the tide over the Easter weekend, winning the reverse fixture by successfully chasing down 157 in New Chandigarh, courtesy a chasing masterclass from Virat Kohli.
The reality checks and the reminders to not get ahead of themselves come the franchise’s way ever so often.
Despite the setback, Kings look like a team on the rise. With the top-order firing on all cylinders, Shreyas providing stability in the middle, and the bowling attack finding rhythm, PBKS is firmly in the playoffs race with 10 points.
As confidence continues to build and contributions come from across the dugout, it feels like only a matter of time before they shift gears — just in time for the business end of the tournament.
Published – April 23, 2025 12:13 am IST
