When Punjab Kings (PBKS) positioned themselves in the IPL 2025 mega auction with only 2 retained players, cricket pundits started to criticize the team’s future planning. Unlike Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, or Kolkata Knight Riders, PBKS’ IPL journey from the inaugural season never touched the sky. The franchise, based in Punjab, entered into the auction house with 120 Cr. In purse, spent 119.65 Cr to rebuild the team around Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh. Later, from the auction, they bought Arshdeep Singh using the RTM when the price pointed at a whopping 18.00 Cr.

The ongoing IPL 2025 has been packed with multiple on- and off-the-field jaw-dropping moments. In fact, who would’ve thought that Punjab Kings would make their way to the round of four in a most convincing way? So, how does a team that experienced a repeated unsuccessful season flip by 180 degrees?

3 possible reasons behind a dominating Punjab Kings:

1) An in-form opening pair: PBKS management probably imminently believed in the phrase No Risk, No Gain. When franchises opted to select at least one overseas player in the opening slot, Punjab took a gamble on two Indian batters, Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh. Arya, the 23-year-old batter with far-away-from-IPL-standard numbers in domestic cricket, is doing wonders with Punjab. He took the limelight when the batter thrashed a thunderous ton. So far in IPL 2025, he has played 12 games and scored 356 runs with a strike rate over 190.

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His opening partner, Singh, is a well-known candidate in domestic cricket. Kings has so much faith in the batter that they put his name in the list of retained players. In the seventh season with the team, the 24-year-old finally lives up to the expectations. In 12 IPL 2025 rivalries, he bagged 458 runs with a strike rate over 171.

2) Shreyas Iyer as Captain: PBKS officials may be pressed a reboot button during the mega auction. They badly needed someone with the ability to lead the team like a troop. They chose Shreyas Iyer. The Indian middle-order batter who just won IPL 2024 with Kolkata Knight Riders was looking for new opportunities to explore. Kings offered him the opportunity with a record-breaking 26.75 Cr deal.  Iyer now became the only captain in IPL to guide three different teams (PBKS, KKR, and Delhi Capitals) to the play-offs. Iyer, the nucleus of the squad, injected the mentality of a champion and created a strong bond between players to deliver results as a team.

3) All-round performance: A team without any superstar, after a flopped and injured Glenn Maxwell dropped from the team. PBKS has internationally famous cricketers like Iyer, Arshdeep Singh, or Yuzuvendra Chahal, but they are counted in the superstar category. With a bunch of young, uncapped talents, guided by seasoned players, the chariot of Kings is breaking the barricades.