IPL 2025: PBKS SWOT Analysis

Punjab Kings (PBKS) had a very poor performance in the IPL 2024. The franchise placed ninth in the IPL points standings after winning just five of its fourteen games. Because of this, the team dismissed every player prior to the IPL 2025 mega auction, keeping only Prabhsimran Singh and Shashank Singh.

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The team brought a sum of Rs 110.5 crore to the auction. By acquiring players like Shreyas Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, and Nehal Wadhera, the team has assembled a formidable team.

For INR 26.75 crore, PBKS defeated the bid of Shreyas Iyer, the captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the IPL 2024 champion. A bid above INR 25 crore was seen for the first time in the history of the IPL auction.

The top IPL wicket-taker, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis were purchased by PBKS for INR 18 crore and INR 11 crore, respectively, while RTM was utilized for Arshdeep Singh.

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Additionally, the team acquired more international players, including Australian fast bowler Xavier Bartlet, New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson, Afghan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai, Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, and South African all-rounder Marco Jansen.

With the PBKS squad in place for IPL 2025, today we take a look at the SWOT analysis of the franchise.

Punjab Kings Strengths:

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This IPL 2025 season, Shreyas Iyer is Punjab's best asset. Compared to the captains PBKS has recently had, he will be a capable leader. Shreyas has a long history, and winning the championship with KKR the previous season was the cherry on top.

Apart from this, PBKS has one of the strongest batting lineups in the franchise. Apart from Iyer, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Nehal Wadhera, Vishnu Vinod, Prabhsimran Singh, and Josh Inglis are just some of the big names in T20 cricket.

Bowling-wise, Punjab Kings has some fearsome pacers. Marco Jansen, Kuldeep Sen, Aaron Hardie, Yash Thakur, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Lockie Ferguson will be led by Arshdeep Singh in the IPL 2025 season. Expect the opposition batters to be uneasy while facing some of the quickest bowlers in the Punjab side.

Punjab Kings Weaknesses:

For Punjab Kings, their biggest weakness is the spin department. Apart from Yuzvendra Chahal, the franchise lacks a commendable second spinner. After working with the side for a few years, Harpreet must contribute. He has taken 25 wickets at a disappointing average of 35+ in 41 IPL outings. Given the limited resources, Maxwell's contributions will be essential with him on the team.

PBKS will also have an issue with finding their best batting lineup. Who will open for the Punjab Kings? Who will be the middle-order enforcer? Who will be the four overseas players among Ferguson, Stoinis, Maxwell, and Inglis? The lack of domestic batting talent in the franchise is also a weakness for the Punjab side.

Punjab Kings Opportunities:

Opportunities for the Punjab Kings will be huge in IPL 2025. They have begun with a clean slate after they retained only two players and have spent huge in the IPL 2025 mega auction. They have gotten some of the biggest names in T20 cricket Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Lockie Ferguson, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Marco Jansen, amongst others.

The biggest opportunity will be PBKS playing in the leadership of Shreyas Iyer. Iyer will be playing for the PBKS side after winning the IPL 2024 for Kolkata Knight Riders, and the new Mullanpur stadium will provide him with a new venue to bring in fresh ideas, along with coach Ricky Ponting.

Punjab Kings Threats:

An unstable batting lineup and the weakest spin department will be the biggest threat to Punjab Kings in IPL 2025. Their batting lineup has some of the biggest names on the paper, but their form on a given day is very unpredictable. PBKS’ Indian backup players are inexperienced, and there is no idea how they would perform under pressure.

Punjab's bowling lineup is pace-heavy, with experienced foreign talents and young Indian bowlers forming the unit. The lack of an experienced Indian pacer to lead the attack is a concern for the Punjab Kings management. Their reliance on foreign players might hamper their performance and procession in the IPL 2025.

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