Punjab Kings (PBKS) are set to retain only two uncapped players, Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh, ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. With the largest purse of over INR 100 crore and four right-to-match options, PBKS will enter the auction with significant financial flexibility.
Despite their interest in retaining Arshdeep Singh, their second-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2024, PBKS has opted to release several high-profile players, including Harshal Patel, Sam Curran, Jitesh Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Jonny Bairstow, and Liam Livingstone.
The retention of Shashank and Prabhsimran, who were PBKS’s top two scorers in IPL 2024, will cost the franchise INR 8 crore from their purse. Both batters played crucial roles in PBKS’s record chase of 262 against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens.
PBKS has been struggling to qualify for the IPL playoffs since 2014 and has made significant changes to its coaching setup, appointing Ricky Ponting as head coach. The franchise hopes that these changes will improve their performance in 2025.
The deadline for franchises to submit their lists of retained players is October 31. Teams can retain up to six players, with a maximum of five capped internationals and two uncapped players. While the IPL has set minimum deductions from the auction purse for each retained player, franchises are free to pay more or less than those amounts.
