Punjab Kings

PKBS is one of those IPL franchises that’s always full of promise but hasn’t quite managed to put it all together yet. They’ve had their high points—like making it to the final in 2014 before losing to KKR—and over time, they’ve built a loyal fanbase. That fanbase shows up in full force every auction, especially because of the team’s famously unpredictable and impulsive buying choices.

Their rivalry with Kolkata Knight Riders has kept them in the spotlight, often sparking interesting strategic matchups in the IPL. And now, with IPL 2025 underway, fans are once again filled with hope that this could finally be the year PKBS takes home the trophy—this time led by Shreyas Iyer.

They’re seriously strong this season because of their awesome all-rounder crew. Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, and Marco Jansen are ace with bat and ball handing the squad a bunch of wiggle room and evenness. Their bowlers the spin wizards, are shaping up super nice. Arshdeep Singh’s killing it in the powerplay powering up PKBS’s pace squad to be top-notch in the showdown.