After appointing veteran cricketer Sairaj Bahutule as the new spin bowling coach, Punjab Kings (PBKS) has made another significant signing ahead of the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026). This signing will make their coaching team stronger on paper. 

On Friday (October 24) afternoon, through their social media account, PBKS officially announced the signing of Anand Date as their strength and conditioning coach. He will be working with head coach Ricky Ponting, assistant coach Brad Haddin, and other coaching staff of the setup. 

Who is Anand Date? 

Anand Date is a well-known strength and conditioning coach in Indian domestic cricket. In January 2017 he was appointed as the strength & conditioning trainer for the Indian senior men’s cricket team for the series versus England and Bangladesh. He worked within camps of the National Cricket Academy and BCCI-organized training camps. Anand cemented his reputation for developing and overseeing fitness, sports science, conditioning, injury prevention, etc. for the players. 

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Appointing Anand Date is a significant move by Punjab Kings, the runner-up of IPL 2025, as their squad is full of young and exciting talents. Anand has the experience of working with emerging cricketers, which can be fruitful with PBKS as well. In the previous IPL season, the strength and conditioning coach for the Punjab Kings (PBKS) was Adrian Le Roux, who left the team in June 2025 to become the new strength and conditioning coach for the Indian men's cricket team. He had a six-year tenure with PBKS. Anand will join the team in place of Adrian. 

The engine room just got stronger. ⚡

Welcome aboard, Anand Date ➡️ Our strength and conditioning coach! 💪 pic.twitter.com/8e3NUHkidG

— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) October 24, 2025

Punjab Kings coaching staff for IPL 2026:

Head Coach: Ricky Ponting

Assistant Coach: Brad Haddin

Fast Bowling Coach: James Hopes

Spin Bowling Coach: Sairaj Bahutule

Assistant Bowling Coach: Trevor Gonsalves 

Our strength and conditioning coach: Anand Date

It was a heart-wrenching result for Punjab Kings (PBKS). It was only their second Indian Premier League (IPL) final, and they were riding high on confidence because of their dominating performances in the group stage of IPL 2025. But it was Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) who won the final by only 6 runs and took the trophy away right in front of Punjab Kings. After the grand finale, when RCB was under all the spotlights and glittering in joy, the PBKS dressing room was behind a curtain of grief. During a recent conversation, PBKS star Shashank Singh described the dressing room atmosphere after the summit clash. He said that their players were crying; he saw tears in the owner's eyes. 

"There were players in the dressing room. They were crying. Our owners were feeling bad. They were very disappointed. I saw their tears. It's different from the media, the fans, and the camera. It's a personal loss. You can't just say, "We lost." It takes a lot of time. I still remember, we had a match in the state league the next day. I thought it would get better. But I couldn't get over the final loss," he said. 

Shashank emerged as the last hope for the Shreyas Iyer-led team on the night of June 3, 2025. He remained unbeaten, scoring 61 off 30 with 3 boundaries and 6 over boundaries. He even hit 22 runs off the last four balls against Josh Hazlewood. But that solo effort with the bat proved not enough to outshine RCB. 

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"...that loss, everyone was hurt. I saw their tears. It took some time, but I think we still believe, and we know now that next year we'll turn around the tables. We'll make sure that those moments are ours," he added. 

Shashank Singh said how PBKS coach and captain used to back their boys

The batter revealed how their head coach, Ricky Ponting, and captain, Shreyas Iyer, backed all of the players. They tried to pull out their best by not putting extra pressure but by showing trust in the players. 

"When we went to the IPL, my practice matches were not that special. But the way Ricky Sir and Shreyas Iyer backed me, they told me, "You're our match winner; we're not going to judge you with two IPL matches." It's just that you go and play with your freedom," Shashank informed. 

According to the 2025 year-over-year brand value update of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises conducted by Houlihan Lokey, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) surged into the position of the most valued IPL franchise, overtaking incumbent champions Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK). RCB had an 18.5% increase from 2024's brand value of $227 million to 2025's brand value of $269 million.

The brand value web rtlto played a part in RCB's historic first IPL title in 2023, which capped a 17-year title drought for the franchise and erased the curse of being the only team to have never won the title. Leveraging its massive fan base and Virat Kohli's legacy, the franchise has been able to turn its historical stature into unprecedented commercial opportunism.

RCB Lead Brand Value Charts, PBKS Post Record Growth

Mumbai Indians continue to sit at number two, worth $242l million in brand value, a growth of 18.6%. Worst, Chennai Super Kings, the five-time winners and gold-nibbler of all time, slipped to number three because they could only manage a meager 1.7% increase. Both Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), and Delhi Capitals (DC) showed good health with double-digit growth, increasing their valuation.

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The big shock came by way of Punjab Kings (PBKS). PBKS showed the most overall increase of any team. From $101 million in 2024 to $141 million in 2025 is a stunning 39.6% hike. Conversely, Worth $122 million in 2024, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are also now the least valuable franchise in recent history, and we believe they didn't fare as well, even with a respectable growth percentage of 34.1%.

What does this tell us about the nature of the IPL's finances? It reveals an ecosystem that is constantly evolving. Genuine on-field success paired with the smart, off-field marketing angles remains key to each franchise's overall commercial strength. With RCB finally hoisting the odd silverware, their position atop the valuation graphs feels justified, because they truly found out that having loyal fans and winning can, in fact, translate into brand power.

IPL Team Brand Values 2025 (Houlihan Lokey Report)

Yuzvendra Chahal was one of the key instruments behind Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) run to the final of IPL 2025. The experienced spinner picked up wickets at crucial times to shift the momentum of the matches. But still, the management has multiple reasons to release Chahal before the IPL 2026 mini auction. 

For these 3 reasons PBKS should consider getting rid of Yuzvendra Chahal:

Economy Rate: Without any doubts, IPL 2025 was a memorable season for PBKS. But can we say the same for Chahal, keeping an eye on his stats he produced on that campaign? He played 14 matches and 13 innings and had a 9.55 economy rate with his name, which is far away from his best. In IPL 2024, when he was with Rajasthan Royals, the economy rate was 9.41. During his career’s prime, the leggy spinner’s economy rate used to be slightly above 7, and for the last two seasons, it was above 9, which is very expensive from a bowler’s perspective. 

Wicket-Taking Ability: Chahal’s comeback in IPL 2025 was remarkable. After battling with personal issues, making a statement through on-field performance was not an easy task. In 14 IPL 2025 games, the spinner claimed 16 wickets. Most of the wickets he got after the initial few matches. With a best bowling figure of 4/28, Chahal created the hype but may be unable to touch his best. With a high economy rate and inconsistent performance, Chahal was sometimes vulnerable in front of opponents.

Read More: WATCH: Shreyas Gopal's statement making 3-wicket spell in 2025 Maharaja Trophy T20

 Reliability: There are no doubts over his ability, but the matter is about reliability. There are multiple occasions when PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer did not utilize the experienced spinner for a full 4-over quota. The tendency to leak too many runs and inconsistent performance raised questions about reliability as a regular bowler. He was like an unpredictable bowler, who can win a match for the team or can unexpectedly flop. 

Chahal's IPL 2025 bowling stats:

A highly entertaining match at the ongoing 2025 Maharaja Trophy T20 tournament. During the decisive moments of the 19^th game of the tournament, Punjab Kings (PBKS) star Praveen Dubey played an unreal innings to successfully chase down a mammoth target of 210 runs.

Dubey, who was a part of PBKS’s IPL 2025 squad, made an unbeaten 53-run innings, facing only 19 deliveries. Without smashing any boundaries, the lower-middle-order batter dealt mostly with 6s. During his 19-ball stormy innings, he hit seven 6s, which took his strike rate to 278.95 and gave the Gulbarga Mystics their thrilling victory. On match 19 of the franchise league, Gulbarga Mystics was up against a strong Mysore Warriors.

The Warriors was the favorite to win the game. As per expectations, they batted brilliantly and registered 209 for 5 batting first. Muralidhara Venkatesh missed his century only by 7 runs. He just toyed with Gulbarga bowlers to score an unbeaten 93 off 53, which was well supported by Yashovardhan Prantap’s 48-run innings. Mysore was all set for another clinical victory of the tournament until Praveen came into the crease. After losing the top 3 batters and an injured opener, Gulbarga was struggling to hold their momentum.

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Who is Praveen Dubey?

The pressure situation made Dubey’s innings more special. Experienced bowler Krishnappa Gowtham also proved very costly for the Mysore-based franchise. Gulbarga Mystics hit their winning runs in the very last delivery of the match. Dubey, who is mostly known for his bowling skills, got to play a few matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as well.

The Azamgarh-born played a total of 4 matches for Delhi Capitals (DC) and claimed a wicket. After spending two seasons with DC, he shifted to PBKS for IPL 2025, where he played one match and claimed one wicket, which was against his former IPL club, Delhi Capitals. Now, in the Maharaja Trophy T20, Dubey proved that he can contribute with the bat also.

Liam Livingstone flared his true potential when he single-handedly took a match away from Oval Invincibles in the ongoing The Hundred tournament. Liam played a match-winning 69* off 27 and gifted Birmingham Phoenix their first win of the season. The fantastic knock came into the moment when a group of cricket fans had been discussing the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026). Before the IPL 2026, a mini auction will be held. Ahead of that, there is a series of rumors related to multiple big names and their possible moves for the upcoming IPL season.

Liam Livingstone, who helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to win their maiden IPL title, was not at his prime in IPL 2025. Cricket fans may not be surprised to see if RCB decides to leave Livingstone because of his repeated underperformances. He ended IPL 2025 at an average of only 16.00 in 10 matches. Stats are not always enough to show a player’s actual potential. So, for IPL 2026, there can be multiple interests for the England international.

3 teams that should pay for Liam Livingstone for the upcoming IPL:

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

The multi-time IPL-winning side has to do a lot of repair work after sustaining an unsuccessful season. The champions of IPL 2024 can think about cashing in for multiple new faces in the troop. Liam Livingstone can be a proper replacement for Andre Russell. Russell, who just retired from T20Is and is well past his prime, was looking like a burden for KKR in 2025. Like Russell, Livingstone is also known for his firing abilities from the lower middle order. He can be useful too with bowling. If the Knight management wishes to cash in for an overseas middle-order all-rounder, the Englishman can be the appropriate option.

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Punjab Kings (PBKS)

It looked all settled for Punjab Kings to lift their first ever IPL trophy until the night of the grand finale came. The batting lineup could not sustain the pressure, and they finished their well-played campaign being the second best. Throughout the tournament, the top and middle order of PBKS looked solid, but their lower middle order was not up to the mark. Marcus Stoinis was simply not at his best. He had a great chance to be the hero for the franchise in the final match against RCB, but the all-rounder got only 6 runs. The 35-year-old scored 160 runs in 13 IPL 2025 matches without any fifty-plus innings. The matches he played after the conclusion of IPL 2025 were also far from promising. Liam Livingstone can be a proper fit in place of Marcus for Punjab Kings.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)

After so many investments, LSG again finished their IPL campaign far away from the glittering trophy. Like many other franchises in the tournament, they too have to update their middle-order tactics with probably some new signings. For IPL 2025 they trusted experienced David Miller, who is now 36. LSG can prefer to go with someone who can contribute to a multi-year vision. Livingstone can be the batting all-rounder who can help the management to set a right playing combination according to matches.

After a season full of memories, Shreyas Iyer became an inseparable part of Punjab Kings (PBKS). They missed the IPL 2025 title by only a few inches, but the franchise knows the importance of their skipper, who led the team to the title decider clash. On the evening of July 9, 2025 (Wednesday), PBKS released the special video, especially dedicated to their captain. After the IPL 2026 campaign, Iyer is widely labelled as 'Sarpanch,' which means the head or the leader of a group. Even players outside the PBKS setup also called Iyer the Sarpanch.

The video released by Punjab Kings is a tribute for their captain, who was very close to breaking the jinx. Through the video, PBKS tried to reflect some OG moments of the middle-order batter. With multiple candid shots, the short video is looking so realistic that Iyer's fans can easily relate to the player.

Punjab Kings fall short in the IPL 2025 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The match was a truly neck-to-neck fight between two consistent teams of the season. RCB, batting first, scored 190 in the first innings of the final. PBKS started the chase extremely well until Phil Salt produced a stunning catch.

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The numbers will speak for the batsman

After breaking the opening pair, Rajat Patidar and his boys gradually took the match under their grip and ultimately left the match victorious. Krunal Pandya got the man of the match award for his effective bowling performance in the grand finale. 

Shreyas joined Punjab Kings for IPL 2025, after winning the IPL 2024 with Kolkata Knight Riders. The star batsman in 17 matches with PBKS in the previous season, he scored a total of 604 runs with an average of 50.33. in the process, his highest scorer was unbeaten 97. 

Watch the video here 

𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐝𝐚 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐠 𝐎𝐆 𝐎𝐆! 😎🤟 pic.twitter.com/I5bArYJrH1

— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) July 9, 2025

The Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer's popularity seems to be surging with every passing day. Despite crashing out against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL 2025 Final, Shreyas has earned the respect of his fans and his close followers. His popularity can be largely attributed to his tactical acumen and his ability to score big under pressure. To offer him a token of respect, fans, especially from the state of Punjab gave him a nickname 'Sarpanch Sahab' roughly translating to the Head of the Group. 

See also: What's behind Shreyas' new nickname? PBKS skipper reveals the truth

While his nickname 'Sarpanch Sahab' has stayed on following the end of the IPL and fans still seem excited to capture a glimse of the iconic IPL stalwart. In a recent video which has now gone viral, a fan, posing with a 'Sarpanch Sahab' poster received an autograph from Shreyas while he was exiting the stadium in a car. The car was stopped midway so the fan could get an autograph from his beloved cricketer. While Shreyas was signing the poster, the fan also captured the moment by taking a selfie with the PBKS skipper in the frame. 

Watch the video here:

Shreyas Iyer gave an autograph to a fan of Sarpanch Sahab poster. ❤️pic.twitter.com/96JRVmXgZm

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 11, 2025

The poster had a white background with the PBKS captain's new nickname written at the center in uppercase. However, his own signature was at the bottom right corner of the poster. 

Shreyas Iyer was in rich form in IPL 2025

Shreyas was in phenomenal form during the recent IPL season, emerging as the highest run-scorer for his team with 604 runs in 17 innings. He maintained an impressive average of 50.33 and notched up six half-centuries, placing him as the sixth-highest run-getter overall in the tournament. His consistency with the bat provided the team with solid starts and momentum at crucial moments. Beyond just scoring runs, Shreyas's ability to anchor innings and accelerate when needed showcased his maturity and adaptability as a top-order batter.

Apart from his batting prowess, Shreyas's leadership proved to be a game-changer for PBKS. He fostered a positive, fearless culture within the dressing room and empowered the younger players to perform with confidence. His tactical decisions and calm demeanor on the field played a significant role in transforming PBKS’s campaign. Under his captaincy, the team reached the IPL final for the first time since 2014 and came heartbreakingly close to securing their first-ever IPL title, marking a remarkable turnaround for the franchise.

Punjab Kings' campaign in the IPL 2025 might have come to an end in disappointment, but co-owner Preity Zinta preferred to look at the silver lining in a moving Instagram post posted three days after the final. On June 3, PBKS came up short in their first title, going down by 6 runs to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). But the defeat did not overshadow what was an extraordinary season for the side. Zinta's letter complimented captain Shreyas Iyer and the team for their performance, passion, and determination.

In her sentimental post, Preity started, "It didn't end the way we wanted it to, but...the journey was spectacular! It was thrilling, engaging, & inspiring. I cherished the battle & the grit our young group, our shers, demonstrated throughout the tournament." I enjoyed how our captain, our Sarpanch, led from the front & how Indian uncapped players ruled this IPL!" Her appreciation for the captain and the young guns of PBKS was evident as she discussed their unmatched performances.

She continued, “This year was unique. We smashed records even though we lost key players to injury & national duty, witnessed a pause in the tournament, transferred home games to other states, & evacuated a stadium! We adapted & topped the points table after a decade & fought till the end in an exciting final.” The actress credited the entire PBKS unit for maintaining composure under pressure and delivering memorable moments throughout the campaign.

"Job Half Done, But We Will Be Back": Preity's Promise to Supporters

Preity did not constrain herself to just commending the on-field performances. Zinta thanked the whole PBKS family and support staff by stating, “From the bottom of my heart, thank you to each one of them, our support staff, and everyone at PBKS for an incredible season. Most importantly, a HEARTFELT THANK YOU to our SHER SQUAD, our FANS that stood with us through thick and thin." Her note resonated amongst supporters and drew in their comments reserved for pride and loyalty.

It didn’t end the way we wanted it to but….the journey was spectacular ! It was exciting, entertaining & it was inspiring. I loved the fight & the grit our young team, our shers showed throughout the tournament. I loved the way our captain, our Sarpanch lead from the front &… pic.twitter.com/kUtRs908aS

— Preity G Zinta (@realpreityzinta) June 6, 2025

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Concluding her note with hopes and determination, Zinta ended with, “The job is half done & we are determined to finish it. See you in 1 year." The IPL trophy may not be the one that eluded Punjab Kings, but there was a sense of hope within the actress's note as regards the 2026 season.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) has shared a heartfelt video regarding the IPL 2025 final and the aftermath. PBKS performed in a promising way under Shreyas Iyer's leadership, and at a point in the final, the momentum of the contest was with the Punjab Kings. But in the end, the moment turned out for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). 

In the video edited and published by PBKS, we can see PBKS players on the ground, disappointed, with sad faces and numb eyes. They couldn't believe their fates after fighting so brilliantly all throughout the seasons. Chris Gayle was there in an RCB jersey, also a former Punjab player, who came forward to support the defeated players at Ahmedabad. Shreyas Iyer, the captain of the runner-up team, spotted Virat Kohli; they had a conversation together. 

Punjab Kings was looking under control throughout the first innings and during the initial stage of the second. With them, the ball PBKS bowlers did not allow RCB batters to go all out with their big hits. Despite leaking some runs, Kyle Jamieson, Arshdeep Singh, and Yuzvendra Chahal's bowling department was able to stop Royal Challengers Bengaluru within 200, restricting them to 190 in 20 overs. 

Read More: WATCH: RCB Director of Cricket Mo Bobat delivers emotional Thank You speech after historic IPL title win

That catch from Phil Salt was something came out of the equation 

With the bat, Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh started well, looking dangerous and dealing with boundaries. Phil Salt did an unthinkable stunt just inside the boundary line, an outstanding catch to dismiss Arya. From there, RCB found their momentum and never turned back. Krunal Pandya helped Singh and Josh Inglis to cut their innings short. Pandya, the best performer in the final, got the bowling figure of 4-0-17-2. 

Punjab Kings displayed one of their most dominating performances in the history of IPL. They qualified for the round of four after finishing first in the points table. In the Qualifier 1 they lost against RCB and bounced back after defeating Mumbai Indians to confirm a place in the final, where they again couldn't prove themselves better than RCB. 

Watch the edit here 

You win some, you lose some! 🥺 pic.twitter.com/qnXgtJwjkc

— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) June 4, 2025