Punjab Kings (Getty Images)

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes the Punjab Kings are finally “moving in the right direction” after making smart and bold decisions at the auction table, raising hopes of ending their long wait for an Indian Premier League (IPL) title.Speaking on IPL Today Live, Pathan highlighted how the franchise has shown renewed clarity in both leadership and squad-building. Punjab Kings finished as runners-up last season, narrowly losing the final to Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Clear Leadership Driving Punjab’s Turnaround

“Leadership has played a huge role in Punjab’s turnaround. You win half the IPL at the auction table. Big purses don’t necessarily mean you will always get what you want, but they did, and they reached the final,” he said.Smart auction moves key to Punjab’s rise Pathan pointed out that the franchise has not shied away from taking tough calls, including releasing underperforming players such as Glenn Maxwell, while also strengthening their bench. “They took bold but important calls… and now you see all-rounders like Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen and Marcus Stoinis, along with a young Indian batting core. They also went all-out for Shreyas Iyer after deciding he would be the captain. There is clarity of thought, and I feel Punjab have started to move in the right direction,” he said.

Punjab Kings in IPL 2025

The Punjab Kings enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in IPL 2025, emerging as one of the most consistent teams of the season. Under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, they topped the league stage and advanced to the final, marking their first title clash after 2014. The team displayed remarkable balance, with Iyer leading from the front with the bat where he finished 604 runs, while Arshdeep Singh spearheaded the bowling attack finishing with 21 wickets. Punjab’s journey included a memorable win in Qualifier 2 against Mumbai Indians after failing in Qualifier 1 from RCB to secure a place in the final, but they ultimately fell short against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in finals. Despite the loss, the 2025 season signaled a major turnaround for the franchise, establishing them as genuine contenders and laying a strong foundation for future success.

Australia celebrate after winning the T20 World Cup cricket match (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Australia ended their disappointing T20 World Cup campaign with a big win over Oman, but the victory came too late to change their fate. They were already out of the tournament after losing to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, so this match was only about pride.Australia bowled first and dominated Oman. Adam Zampa was the star with the ball and took four wickets, while Xavier Bartlett and Glenn Maxwell took two wickets each.

Oman struggled to score and were bowled out for just 104 runs in 16.2 overs. Wasim Ali was the top scorer for Oman with 32 runs, but the rest of the team failed to build partnerships.After that, Australia chased the target very quickly. Captain Mitchell Marsh played an aggressive innings and scored 64 runs without getting out, and Travis Head added 32 runs. They hit many boundaries and sixes and made the chase look easy. Australia finished the match in just 9.4 overs, which is one of the fastest chases in the tournament for a target above 100 runs.Marsh and Head shared a strong 93-run partnership and attacked the Oman bowlers from the start. Their hitting helped Australia win by nine wickets in dominant fashion.Even though the win was impressive, it could not hide how poor Australia’s campaign had been.Their early exit shocked fans and experts, and many people are now calling for a major review of the team’s performance and future plans.In the match, Oman had some early moments, but they kept losing wickets. Australia’s bowlers kept the pressure on, and Oman could not recover. Australia finally played like a strong team, but the performance came when it no longer mattered in the tournament.