Punjab Kings Schedule IPL 2025: Punjab Kings (PBKS) entered the Indian Premier League 2025 mega auction with the highest purse and have made some significant purchases heading into the new season. Shreyas Iyer, who won the IPL with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) last year, will be leading PBKS this year after being bought for Rs 26.75 crore in the mega auction. Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep Singh were the other big Indian buys, while the purchases of Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and Marco Jansen add explosive overseas firepower. Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh were retained by the franchise.

Here is Punjab Kings’ IPL 2025 schedule in full:

25 March: GT vs PBKS – Ahmedabad – 7:30 PM IST

1 April: LSG vs PBKS – Lucknow – 7:30 PM IST

5 April: PBKS vs RR – New Chandigarh – 7:30 PM IST

8 April: PBKS vs CSK – New Chandigarh – 7:30 PM IST

12 April: SRH vs PBKS – Hyderabad – 7:30 PM IST

15 April: PBKS vs KKR – New Chandigarh – 7:30 PM IST

18 April: RCB vs PBKS – Bengaluru – 7:30 PM IST

20 April: PBKS vs RCB – New Chandigarh – 3:30 PM IST

26 April: KKR vs PBKS – Kolkata – 7:30 PM IST

30 April: CSK vs PBKS – Chennai – 7:30 PM IST

4 May: PBKS vs LSG – Dharamshala – 7:30 PM IST

8 May: PBKS vs DC – Dharamshala – 7:30 PM IST

11 May: PBKS vs MI – Dharamshala – 3:30 PM IST

16 May: RR vs PBKS – Jaipur – 7:30 PM IST

PBKS IPL 2025 Squad: Shashank Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Arshdeep Singh (Rs. 18 crore), Shreyas Iyer (Rs. 26.75 crore), Yuzvendra Chahal (Rs. 18 crore), Marcus Stoinis (Rs. 11 crore), Glenn Maxwell (Rs. 4.20 crore), Nehal Wadhera (Rs. 4.20 crore), Harpreet Brar (Rs. 1.50 crore), Vishnu Vinod (Rs. 95 lakh), Vijaykumar Vyshak (Rs. 1.80 crore), Yash Thakur (Rs. 1.60 crore), Marco Jansen (Rs. 7 crore), Josh Inglis (Rs. 2.60 crore), Lockie Ferguson (Rs. 2 crore), Azmatullah Omarzai (Rs. 2.40 crore), Harnoor Pannu (Rs. 30 lakh), Kuldeep Sen (Rs. 80 lakh), Priyansh Arya (Rs. 3.80 crore), Aaron Hardie (Rs. 1.25 crore), Musheer Khan (Rs. 30 lakh), Suryansh Shedge (Rs. 30 lakh), Xavier Bartlett (Rs. 80 lakh), Pyla Avinash (Rs. 30 lakh), Pravin Dubey (Rs. 30 lakh).

Aaron Finch has hit out at Marcus Stoinis for his sudden retirement from ODIs.© AFP

Australia’s bid to win the Champions Trophy was a dealt a major setback Wednesday with their formidable pace attack of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood all ruled out. Cummins (ankle) and Hazlewood (side and calf) were always unlikely to play, but Starc has also withdrawn for personal reasons. Steve Smith will captain the team after standing in for Cummins during their two-Test thrashing of Sri Lanka this month. The 15-man squad is also without all-rounder Marcus Stoinis, who retired from the 50-over game last week, and Mitchell Marsh who was previously omitted with a back issue.

“The squad has changed significantly over the past month on the back of some untimely injuries and the retirement of Marcus Stoinis,” said chief selector George Bailey.

“The upside of that is that we have been able to call on players who have had international exposure and success over the past 12 months. 

“A strong core of some our most experienced players will provide a strong foundation in our attempt to win this edition of the Champions Trophy,” he added. 

“We have a range of options to shape the playing XI within the tournament depending on the opposition and conditions we face.”

Starc was the only member of the “Big Three” fast bowling attack to play all seven Tests against India and Sri Lanka across the current Australian summer.

Bailey said he respected Starc’s decision, with the reasons for his withdrawal to remain private.

“Mitch is deeply respected for his commitment to international cricket and the priority he places on performing for Australia,” he said. 

“His loss is of course a blow for the Champions Trophy campaign but does provide an opportunity to someone else to make a mark on the tournament.”

Starc will also miss the two-match ODI series against Sri Lanka starting in Colombo later Wednesday.

The loss of Australia’s long-time pace attack has opened the door for the likes of Spencer Johnson, Nathan Ellis and Ben Dwarshuis.

Aaron Hardie takes over as the seaming all-rounder while emerging leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha was included to complement Adam Zampa.

The eight-nation Champions Trophy, between February 19 and March 9, will be played in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.

Australia squad: Steve Smith (capt), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa

Tennis legend Novak Djokovic© X (Twitter)

Ricky Ponting and Punjab Kings (PBKS) splashed out over Rs 110 crore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction, and made three of the five biggest purchases of the two-day event. Shreyas Iyer was bought for Rs 26.75 crore, while Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep Singh each received Rs 18 cr. However, another aspect of PBKS’ auction strategy was signing as many as five Australian players in their squad, with Ponting probably having a large say in the matter. Ponting defended the decision to pick so many Australians.

Punjab Kings bought all-rounders Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell, wicket-keeper batter Josh Inglis, all-rounder Aaron Hardie and pacer Xavier Bartlett in the IPL 2025 mega auction.

“I’ll probably get some criticism. I think we have got five Aussies out of our complement of eight overseas,” admitted Ponting after the auction.

“But when you look at the slots that we needed, the players that we have got fitted into those roles perfectly,” Ponting stated.

Three of the Australians – Stoinis, Maxwell and Inglis – are likely to form a major part of PBKS’ first XI as well, given their all-round and wicket-keeping abilities respectively. Stoinis was the most expensive of the lot, fetching Rs 11 crore in the auction.

“To have Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell back to Kings is huge as they have both played here in the past. A couple of new guys, including Xavier Bartlett, Aaron Hardie, and Josh Inglis, are coming into the IPL for the first time, which is also really exciting for us,” Ponting added.

Punjab Kings – back then known as Kings XI Punjab – was Stoinis’ very first IPL franchise, between 2016 and 2018. On the other hand, Maxwell will don the Punjab Kings red for a third spell in his career.

Maxwell also won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award when Punjab played the IPL final (and last qualified for the playoffs) in 2014.

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) acquired the services of Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer for Rs 23.75 crore in the IPL 2025 Auction here at the Abadi Al Johar Arena in Jeddah on Sunday. With a base price of Rs. 2 crore, Iyer was expected to fetch a good price, but no one could have predicted the astronomical heights his auction would reach. KKR, the team he helped lead to glory in the previous season, opened the bidding. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) quickly joined in, trying to snatch Iyer from KKR. The bidding escalated steadily, with LSG pushing the price to Rs 6 crore. However, they bowed out as KKR raised their bid to Rs 7.75 crore.

But just when it looked like Iyer was heading back to KKR, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) entered the fray. A fierce bidding war ensued between KKR and RCB, with the price soaring past Rs 12 crore, then 14 crore, and continuing to climb.

Paddles were raised rapidly as the two franchises showed no signs of backing down. The bid crossed Rs 18 crore, then Rs 19 crore, with KKR momentarily in the lead at Rs 19.25 crore. KKR raised the bid to Rs 20.75 crore, but RCB still wasn’t done. The battle continued until the bid hit an astonishing Rs 23.75 crore as KKR claimed the services of their former all-rounder.

He had debuted for KKR in 2021 and immediately made an impact with a prolific season, scoring 370 runs in just 10 matches at an average of 41.11. His exploits with the bat and ball earned him a spot in the Indian national team in both T20Is and ODIs. Over his IPL career, Iyer amassed 1,326 runs in 50 matches at an average of 31.57, with one century and 11 half-centuries with highest score of 104.

In IPL 2024, Iyer’s value as a match-winner was undeniable. His T20 batting strike rate of 137.64 and his tight bowling economy under seven underscored his all-around capabilities. The Madhya Pradesh all-rounder had also hit 121 fours and 61 sixes in his IPL career, solidifying his reputation as a power-hitter.

In other purchase, Australia all-rounder Marcus Stoinis was sold to Punjab Kings for Rs 11 crore. Stoinis entered the auction with a base price of Rs. 2 crore, and it didn’t take long for the bidding to heat up. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) initiated the proceedings, swiftly followed by Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Bengaluru escalated the bid to Rs 4.40 crore, but CSK wasn’t backing down, pushing the price to Rs 6 crore.

The back-and-forth continued as RCB took the lead at Rs. 6.75 crore, only for CSK to momentarily retreat before returning with a bid of Rs 8.50 crore.

The stakes rose as Punjab Kings (PBKS) entered the fray, making a strong bid of Rs 9 crore. RCB held firm, refusing to concede, but PBKS upped the ante with a commanding Rs 11 crore offer. At this point, RCB hesitated, eventually pulling out of the race. Meanwhile, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), who had the option to use their Right to Match (RTM) card, surprisingly chose not to exercise it. With that, Marcus Stoinis was sold to Punjab Kings for a staggering Rs. 11 crore.

Stoinis’s acquisition was a testament to his impact in the IPL over the years. Since making his debut in 2016, he had become one of the most reliable all-rounders in the league. Across 96 matches, Stoinis had amassed 1,866 runs at an average of 28.27, including a scintillating century and nine half-centuries. His highest score of 124 not out showcased his ability to single-handedly turn games around. With 150 fours and 91 sixes to his name.

In addition to his batting, Stoinis brought versatility with the ball, often providing breakthroughs in crucial moments. It was this dual skill set that made him a sought-after player.

Marcus Stoinis slammed five huge sixes in an unbeaten 61 as Australia crushed Pakistan by seven wickets in Hobart on Monday to secure a 3-0 T20 series whitewash. Chasing a meagre 118, the hosts hit the target in the 12th over to hand Pakistan a reality check after the visitors won the preceding ODI series 2-1. Stoinis was unstoppable once he got going, also blasting five fours in his 27-ball masterclass. “It’s really nice to get another win and go 3-0 up,” said Australia skipper Josh Inglis.  “When he’s going like that, it’s really hard to stop,” he added of Stoinis. “One of those sixes was probably the biggest I’ve seen.”

The match at Bellerive Oval was a dead rubber after Australia won a rain-hit match in Brisbane by 29 runs and then in Sydney by 13 runs.

After opting to bat, Pakistan raced to 62-1 before crumbling to 117 all out in the 19th over with Babar Azam top-scoring on 41 and Aaron Hardie taking 3-21.

Jake Fraser-McGurk began the run chase with consecutive boundaries from Shaheen Shah Afridi before the speedster dismissed Matt Short for two, caught at mid-on by Irfan Khan.

Fraser-McGurk (18) followed next over, undone by the sheer pace of Jahandad Khan in another mis-fire by the 22-year-old.

But Inglis kept the scoreboard ticking over alongside Stoinis, who let rip in the ninth over, punishing Haris Rauf for 20, including a massive six that landed on the stadium roof.

Their 55-run partnership ended when Inglis scooped Abbas Afridi to Rauf on 27, which brought Tim David to the crease.

He was bystander to Stoinis, who brought up his fifth T20 half-century with another giant six before seeing them home.

“There’s lots of positives, the way some of the players batted and bowled, these youngsters will come good,” said Salman Agha, Pakistan’s skipper for the night with Mohammad Rizwan rested.

“It’s a big achievement for us to win a one-day series here after 22 years, we could have done better in the T20 series but we’ll come back stronger.” 

Sahibzada Farhan opened the Pakistan batting with Azam in the absence of Rizwan.

But on a chilly evening, he lasted just seven balls before top-edging a short one from Spencer Johnson — fresh from taking five wickets in Sydney — to Xavier Bartlett.

Azam produced a series of elegant strokes as he and Haseebullah Khan put on a quickfire 44 for the second wicket.

But Kahn was no match for Adam Zampa‘s spin, collecting an outside edge on 24 to Short.

Pakistan’s woes mounted with Usman Khan (3) caught on the ropes after slogging Hardie and Agha trapped lbw by the same bowler for one.

It left them reeling on 72-4 at the halfway mark and when Zampa bowled Azam and Khan (10) was needlessly run out they were in deep trouble. Shaheen Shah Afridi blasted the only six of the innings, but didn’t last as the tailenders were mopped up.

Australia vs Pakistan 2nd T20I© AFP

Australia vs Pakistan Live Score Updates 2nd T20I© AFP

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are set to mutually part ways with captain KL Rahul ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction. The IPL governing council has set October 31 as the deadline for teams to submit their list of retained and released players from the current squad. According to a report in Cricbuzz, Rahul has expressed his desire to leave LSG after his request to bat in the middle-order was declined by the management owing to composition and dynamics.

The report also revealed that LSG could exercise the Right To Match (RTM) card on Australia all-rounder Marcus Stoinis.

“While LSG have the option to exercise the RTM for Rahul, the chances of that happening are remote – virtually nil. They may do it for a player like Marcus Stoinis,” the report claimed.

With Rahul set to be released, LSG are likely to retain the likes of Nicholas Pooran, Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan and Ayush Badoni, with the last two being uncapped retentions.

Rahul has been linked with several teams ahead of the auction. However, if he enters the auction table, RCB are likely to go all in for their former player.

He played two seasons for RCB in 2013 and 2016, respectively, before joining Punjab in 2018.

Rahul’s strike rate has been a point of contention for LSG throughout. In fact, he hasn’t scored at a strike of over 140 since the 2019 IPL season, and hit as low as 113 in 2023.

If Rahul and LSG decide to mutually part ways, he will be one of the big Indian names hitting the auction pool. Rahul has amassed 4,683 IPL runs over the years, at an average of 45 and a strike rate of 134.

All is not going well for Rahul as he was dropped from India’s playing XI for the 2nd Test against New Zealand in Pune. However, he has been added to the squad for the upcoming Test tour of Australia.