Punjab Kings (PBKS) have been dealt a blow with allrounder Glenn Maxwell sidelined for the rest of the IPL 2025 season. Maxwell’s exit comes after he suffered a fracture in his right hand during training. Speaking at the toss before their match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Wednesday, PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer expressed his disappointment. “It’s very unfortunate that he’s got a fractured finger,” he stated. “We haven’t decided on replacements yet, but we’re confident in our team’s depth and the variety of players who can step up.”
Marcus Stoinis, reflecting on Maxwell’s situation, added, “He didn’t think it was too bad, but it ended up getting pretty bad. He had scans and, yeah, the results weren’t great. So unfortunately for Maxi, I think it’s likely he’s out for the tournament.” Despite his struggles with the bat, scoring only 48 runs in six innings, Maxwell contributed with four wickets through his offspin.
This marks the second injury setback for PBKS, who also lost fast bowler Lockie Ferguson earlier this month. The team hasn’t announced replacements for Ferguson either, but head coach Ricky Ponting has indicated plans are underway. “We will be signing some replacements at some stage. We’ve got until our 12th game to make decisions,” Ponting explained. “We’ve been discussing various options within our squad, and also looking at Indian talent to fill specific roles,” he continued, hinting that upcoming games in Dharamsala would factor into their strategies.
Despite these challenges, PBKS are holding steady in second place on the points table, just behind Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Meanwhile, CSK is the only team currently out of the playoff race. With PBKS still in a strong position, the coming weeks will reveal how they adapt to these setbacks. As Ponting noted, “We’ll have a closer look at some players, and they might find themselves with a Punjab contract going forward. Stay tuned.”
