Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, Punjab Kings (PBKS) co-owner Preity Zinta has sent a motivational message to the team, asking them to concentrate on their game and aim for their first-ever IPL title.
On X (formerly Twitter), Zinta stressed the need for team cohesion and listening to their coaching staff. She posted:
"My message to @PunjabKingsIPL players this year is - Cut out the noise, work on the game, listen to Ricky, play as a team & have loads of fun on the ground & WIN for all of us this year Ting!"
Striving for a Turnaround in IPL 2024
Punjab Kings, being an original IPL franchise, have had trouble in providing steady success within the tournament. In their twelve-year history starting in 2008, PBKS has been in the playoffs only twice—their best so far being their runners-up appearance in 2014 when they lost to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the finals.

Owner Preity Zinta has a clear message for Punjab Kings ahead of IPL 2025 🏆❤️#CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/z8W7ybSp21

— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) February 28, 2025

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Despite their constant squad revamps and regular change of leaders, Punjab Kings have not managed to find the winning recipe. Zinta's recent message, though, suggests a new plan for the next season with a focus on team bonding, strategy clarity, and the coach Ricky Ponting's influence.

Shreyas Iyer in Punjab Kings Colors?
A dominant topic of conversation from the gone-viral photograph attached to Zinta's message is that of Shreyas Iyer's appearance in a Punjab Kings shirt. Even though the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain isn't tied with PBKS on record, this has provoked a broad lot of guessing on fans' ends regarding prospective trade-offs or captains for the squad.
If Punjab Kings can sign Iyer, it would be a game-changer, given his leadership skills and capacity to stabilize the batting order. No official word on this at present, though.
Punjab Kings' Road to Redemption
With Ricky Ponting's tactical wisdom and Zinta's strong backing, PBKS supporters expect a change this year. The management seems intent on ensuring stability, minimizing unnecessary player changes, and emphasizing effective leadership.
With Punjab Kings preparing for IPL 2025, the question is still big: Can they now lift their first-ever IPL title and leave behind years of not doing enough?

Following in the footsteps of two time ODI World Cup winning captain Ricky Ponting, another Australian Trevor Bayliss is expected to leave his coaching role in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Bayliss the head coach of the Punjab Kings (PBKS) may part ways with the Mohali based team before the IPL season 2025.

The Punjab Kings did not make it to the playoffs this year, finishing ninth out of ten teams. They managed only six wins and suffered nine losses. The last time PBKS made it to the playoffs was in 2014.

Bayliss’s contract ends

Trevor Bayliss’s two-year contract with the Punjab Kings, owned by Bollywood actress Preity Zinta, has ended. Reports suggest that the team is unlikely to renew his contract for the next T20 season.

According to Cricbuzz, the Punjab Kings are looking for an Indian coach for the 2025 IPL season. They are considering several candidates including Sanjay Bangar, who was previously the head coach and is now the director of cricket development.

A board meeting to decide on the head coach role was scheduled for July 22, but it didn’t happen. The team is still exploring other options before the mega-auction later this year.

Why Bayliss might leave

Sources say PBKS wants an Indian coach to lead the team. Although they don’t have issues with Bayliss’s coaching style, they are unhappy with the results over the past two seasons. Despite having a strong squad, the team has not performed well. Bayliss took over from Anil Kumble before the 2023 season.

Indian coaches are popular in the IPL. Recently, Gautam Gambhir and Chandrakant Pandit guided the Kolkata Knight Riders, while Ashish Nehra led the Gujarat Titans to the title in 2022. Dinesh Karthik will join the Royal Challengers Bengaluru as a batting coach for the upcoming season.

Bayliss has coached Kolkata Knight Riders, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Punjab Kings, as well as the England cricket team. However his recent T20 record has been disappointing. The PBKS management will review the last season’s performance before making any final decisions.

Future of IPL coaching

Rahul Dravid is drawing interest from several IPL teams. The future of Ashish Nehra and Vikram Solanki with the Gujarat Titans is uncertain. The Kolkata Knight Riders are also expected to appoint new coaches after Gautam Gambhir, Abhishek Nayar, and Ryan ten Doeschate moved to the Indian team.