Updated April 2nd 2025, 13:23 IST
IPL 2025: Cricket unites India like nothing else does; this statement stands true, but only when eleven players with India written on their chest go out and compete. Cricket also has the power to divide, and the Indian Premier League is a living and breathing example of it. Everybody has their favorite team, franchise, and players, and the passion for cricket heightens during the Indian Premier League season.
Gone are those days when only Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians were considered to be the greatest rivals. KKR vs RCB, LSG vs RCB, RCB vs CSK - these matches are the new additions to the list. But after the IPL 2025 mega auction, it now seems that Lucknow and Punjab have started a new rivalry, and it isn't going to die down anytime soon.
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Both Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants were in dire need of a skipper after IPL 2024. PBKS broke the bank to procure Shreyas Iyer's services, and Lucknow did something similar to rope in Rishabh Pant. Punjab Kings picked KKR's former IPL-winning captain Iyer for a whopping Rs 26.75 crore. Lucknow, on the other hand, shelled out Rs 27 crore to include Pant in their squad. Pant is also the costliest player to be picked at an IPL auction.
Prior to the start of IPL 2025, Pant made a sweeping remark that he was extremely bothered that he might end up going to Punjab. Certainly, this comment did not sit very well with the fans of Punjab Kings, and they were critical of Pant. Punjab defeated Lucknow by eight wickets. After the match, PBKS posted a video featuring Shreyas Iyer with a caption: "Tension toh auction mein hi khatam ho gayi thi!"
Interestingly, Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Delhi Capitals are in the top three positions of the IPL 2025 points table. These are the three franchises that have never won the IPL. The league is getting interesting with every passing day, and the top three teams look pretty invincible at the moment.
Published April 2nd 2025, 13:23 IST