IPL Pulse: Fantasy Cricket Dugout

  Punjab Kings: A Regal Revamp for IPL 2025 Glory? Shreyas Iyer’s Brigade Eyes Elusive Crown with Swagger and Spin T he Indian Premier League has long been cricket’s gaudiest stage, a kaleidoscope of sixes, stumpings, and stratospheric salaries. Yet for Punjab Kings, it’s been a tale of near-misses and what-ifs, their trophy cabinet as barren as a Lord’s outfield in winter. Enter the 2025 season, and there’s a whiff of something different in the Chandigarh air. With a squad retooled at November’s mega auction and a captain in Shreyas Iyer who oozes urbane confidence, Punjab might just trade perennial promise for silverware. Or will they? The Kings splashed Rs 110 crore to assemble a 23-man roster that blends international heft with Indian grit. Iyer, fetched for a princely Rs 26.75 crore, is the jewel in their crown, a batsman whose silken cover drives recall Mumbai’s storied lineage. He’s joined by Australia’s Glenn Maxwell, a six-hitting tornado, and Marcus Stoinis, whose all-ro...