The best thing about time is that it changes. This phrase, often used by people to comfort their close and loved ones during times of distress, surely holds true for Punjab Kings (PBKS) and their captain Shreyas Iyer. From Kolkata to Mullanpur, PBKS, yet to lay hands on an Indian Premier League (IPL) title, provided fans with unpredictability, entertainment and an opportunity to be a part of two big milestones of league's history. Last year at Eden Garden's, in Kolkata, when Iyer was captaining KKR, his men were taken down brutally by a Jonny Bairstow-powered PBKS during a successful run-chase of 262 runs, the highest-ever run-chase in T20 cricket history.
Now almost a year forward, Iyer stands at Mullanpur Stadium in Punjab with his coach Ricky Ponting, as a proud captain of a fighting, "never-say-die" PBKS unit, which defended 111 runs, the lowest-ever total in IPL history, showcasing a remarkable reversal of fortunes. For PBKS, both these victories came when they looked down and out, but forces of time made sure they got what they fought for so brilliantly.
Last year, this win for PBKS came when they were at their low point, having won just two of their previous eight games before the all-timer clash at Eden Gardens. Phil Salt (75), Sunil Narine (71) scored explosive fifties while the middle-order continued the fireworks, taking PBKS to cleaners by putting 261/6 in their 20 overs.
Bairstow (108), Prabhsimran (54) and Shashank (68) hit PBKS with a relentless counter-attack just a while later, which KKR did not saw coming and the total was chased down with eight balls and eight wickets left. The highest-ever T20 run-chase was made and it was proven how fast time changes in cricket and how one must not consider a match to be over, till it is actually over.
Now, one year later, PBKS looks a formidable unit, under the guidance of multi-time World Cup-winning skipper Ricky Ponting and a hungry, consistent Shreyas, who is on a trophy-winning spree, both as a captain and player. Coming into the IPL 2025 after a Champions Trophy win with India, the middle-order batter is in charge of a strong PBKS side with a brutal, bully-ish Indian core consisting of Prabhsimran Singh, six-hitting Priyansh Arya, impact-making Nehal Wadhera, Arshdeep Singh and Yuzi Chahal playing alongside international stars like Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Azmatullah Omarzai, all of them proven match-winners for their national sides.
On the other hand, with three wins and four losses so far, KKR looks good in patches, but it is highly likely they might not end up with the trophy still in their hands, with the trinity of PBKS, Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) looking really changed and motivated units this time around after undergoing revamps in the last year's mega auction.
KKR's decline has been largely due to its poor batting and break-up of its title-winning opening pair of Phil Salt and Sunil Narine. Salt has gone to RCB and RCB's gain has been KKR's loss. Narine's high-risk, high-reward style of cricket is not something that can always give consistent results, having made just 130 runs in six innings so far, as compared to 276 runs in six innings during the last season.
Quinton de Kock has not clicked as an opener and the middle-order of Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh and Andre Russell has been misfiring more often than not, leaving skipper Ajinkya Rahane (221 runs in seven matches) and vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer (121 runs in five innings) to control a volatile line-up.
While young pace duo of Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora and spin duo of Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine has been remarkable, they simply have suffered due to lack of numbers on part of batters. Even today at Mullanpur, Harshit (3/25) delivered a magical powerplay spell that triggered PBKS' collapse after Priyansh Arya (22 in 12 balls) and Prabhsimran Singh (30 in 15 balls) delivered an explosive start and Varun (2/21) and Narine (2/14) controlled with their spin. But a poor shot by skipper Rahane slid KKR down to 62/3, triggering a batting collapse that would end with KKR being bundled out for 95.
Will KKR's middle-order inconsistency continue? Will this epic victory give PBKS the strength and motivation they need to get their first IPL title? Only time will tell.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)