Punjab Kings (PBKS) have been hit with a massive setback in IPL 2025, as key players Glenn Maxwell and Lockie Ferguson were both ruled out due to injuries. Maxwell suffered a fractured finger at training just before the rained-out fixture against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on April 26. Meanwhile, Ferguson also sustained a season-ending injury, further depleting PBKS’ already stretched resources.
As PBKS struggled with these injuries, head coach Ricky Ponting revealed that the team had not yet decided on replacements for Maxwell and Ferguson. He attributed the delay to several factors, including the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025, which has made it harder for the team to find high-quality replacements.
Maxwell and Ferguson Injuries Confirmed
The blow to PBKS was confirmed when skipper Shreyas Iyer spoke at the toss on Wednesday, expressing his disappointment over Maxwell’s injury. “It’s very unfortunate that he’s got a fractured finger,” Iyer said, adding that the team had not yet decided on Maxwell’s replacement. “We are pretty strong in our team’s mindset and what we have outside of our playing XI. We’ve got varieties of players who can win you matches, so we’re going to stick to that as much as possible,” he added.
Maxwell’s injury came at a particularly tough time, with his Australia and PBKS teammate Marcus Stoinis explaining that Maxwell initially thought the injury wasn’t severe, but the scans revealed it was much worse. “Unfortunately for Maxi, I think it’s likely he’s out for the tournament,” Stoinis said.
Ricky Ponting’s Thoughts on Replacement Delay
In addition to Maxwell’s injury, PBKS also lost pacer Lockie Ferguson in April, with his replacement also yet to be named. Coach Ricky Ponting addressed the situation, confirming that replacements would be sought before the 12th game of the season. “We will be signing some replacements at some stage,” Ponting said.
Ponting explained that the team has been patient due to the ongoing PSL, which has made it difficult to find suitable replacements. “With the PSL happening at the same time, there’s not a lot of high-quality replacements out there,” he said. He also mentioned that PBKS had been considering Indian talent for replacements, as they look to fill specific roles with younger Indian players.
PBKS Looking at Indian Talent for Replacements
Ponting revealed that PBKS was taking a closer look at some Indian players, including Azmatullah Omarzai, Aaron Hardie, and Xavier Bartlett. These players may be included in the squad for PBKS’ upcoming games, as the team heads to Dharamsala for their next two matches against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Delhi Capitals (DC). Ponting mentioned that the team would continue to assess their options, and replacements would likely be confirmed before their 12th game on May 8.
“We’ve been a little bit patient,” Ponting said. “We’ll take a couple of guys to Dharamsala with us, a couple of guys trained with us yesterday, and they will come with us to Dharamsala. We’ll have a closer look at them, and they might find themselves with a Punjab contract going forward.”
PBKS’ Timeline for Replacement Decisions
PBKS has almost a week to finalize their replacements, with their 11th fixture against LSG scheduled for May 4. The 12th match will be against DC on May 8, and both fixtures will take place in Dharamsala. Ponting confirmed that the replacements must be confirmed before the 12th game, with PBKS fans eagerly awaiting the team’s final decisions.
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