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...

  The IPL Salary Cap Loophole: The Sneaky Trick Teams Are Using to Cheat the System—Legally! How Clever Franchises Are Exploiting Replacement Rules to Build Dynasties on the Cheap The Indian Premier League (IPL) isn’t just a showcase of six-hitting swagger and lightning-fast yorkers—it’s a high-stakes chess match where money and strategy call the shots. With a salary cap tighter than a miser’s purse strings, IPL teams are forced to get creative to assemble title-winning squads. But here’s the dirty little secret: there’s a perfectly legal loophole that lets cunning franchises bolster their ranks without spending an extra rupee—by gaming the replacement player rules. Take a look at Mumbai Indians’ recent moves. Snapping up 14-year-old Afghan spinning sensation Allah Ghazanfar and India’s teenage prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi isn’t just about youthful exuberance—it’s a masterclass in financial jiggery-pokery. Are IPL teams quietly turning the replacement system into a backdoor talen...