Punjab Kings, a team still looking for their first big moment in the IPL. They’ve come close a few times but failed to secure the last battle. The most memorable near-miss came in 2014, when they almost clinched the IPL trophy, thanks to Glenn Maxwell’s incredible form. However, in the end, things didn’t go their way. Overall, they are still considered an underperforming team, and the ship is sinking faster for them. But they need to find a way to turn things around.
Before the IPL auction 2025, they took a brave step by releasing many players and only retaining two uncapped names. In the auction, they spent heavily to buy marquee players, and many believe this time they have all bases covered. However, there are still critics who believe that there are some loopholes in this team. See three potential weaknesses of Punjab Kings that may haunt them in IPL 2025
Opening Pair Issue
PBKS has always faced an issue with their opening pair. They have tried several combinations, from Jonny Bairstow to Shikhar Dhawan, in the last IPL. However, the player who has found the best spot so far is Prabhsimran Singh. But the question remains, who will open with him? Similar to the Mumbai Indians, who are also facing the dilemma of who will open with Rohit Sharma, PBKS has the same issue to resolve. Will Josh Inglis be a good candidate? It will be interesting to see how things comes for them. They have faced this opening issue several times in the past, and this time, they will look to find a solid pair they can trust for a longer period.
Relying more on foreign Players
It came as an interesting fact that Punjab Kings has a total of eight overseas players, which shocked many as they have invested heavily in them—from Marcus Stoinis to Josh Inglis. Out of these eight, five players are Australians, leading some fans to humorously troll the team by calling them “Mini Australia.”
Apart from them, they have heavily paid for South African fast bowler Marco Jansen, hoping that he will deliver similar fiery performances for them as he does for South Africa.
However, a potential issue could arise because, while all their international buys bring quality, this could create an imbalance in the playing XI, as only four foreign players are allowed in the mix. This makes it difficult for the team management to decide whom to choose and whom not to. Punjab Kings are relying on many foreign players, and this could create challenges for them.
Lack of Spinners
Yes, they have the IPL’s highest wicket-taker, Yuzvendra Chahal, in the mix, but how reliable will the other potential quality spinners be? Glenn Maxwell and Harpreet Brar could step up, but solely relying on these two throughout all 14 games could create an issue. Harpreet has done well for the PBKS camp, but he has been expensive at times, which is another concern they need to address. The key question is how the PBKS bowlers will operate in the middle overs of the game.
