Cricket: Peshawar to Punjab - Mitchell Owen replaces Glenn Maxwell ahead of IPL Playoffs
Maxwell ruled out for remainder of IPL
Having not reached the IPL Playoffs since 2014, Punjab Kings’ fans have a reason to cheer again this year, with their team guaranteed to be a part of the knockouts this season following a 10-run victory over the Rajasthan Royals on Sunday, a result that also confirmed our IPL predictions for the match.
PBKS have been very impressive this year, notching up 17 points from 12 games, with a record of eight wins, three losses and one no-result, while maintaining a decent net run rate of +0.389, which places them third in the standings.
Among the Kings’ stats leaders this season are Prabhsimaran Singh, who is the team’s top scorer with 458 runs in 12 matches, which sees him sitting eighth in the Orange Cap standings, while Arshdeep Singh has been the chief contributor with the ball, claiming 16 scalps with a best of 3/16.
However, Punjab were dealt a fairly significant blow just before the league was halted a little over a week ago, with Glenn Maxwell sustaining a fractured finger, which has forced him to miss the remainder of the competition.
The Aussie all-rounder has had a season to forget, though, scoring a mere 48 runs in seven matches with a highest score of 30, while producing a strike rate of 97.96 - well below his 155.15 all-time IPL strike rate.
Maxwell, along with a few other foreign players in the competition, such as Liam Livingstone, has come under major scrutiny this season, with several former IPL greats, including Virender Sehwag, questioning their level of commitment to the tournament due to their poor performances.
Owen aiming to bounce back from IPL debut disappointment
Mitchell Owen stepped out at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium against the Royals in his IPL debut on Sunday, May 18, but his special day ended in disappointment, having been dismissed for a two-ball duck by left-arm fast bowler Kwena Maphaka.
However, the 23-year-old batsman will be backed to make up for it in the latter stages of the competition, given his incredible rise over the last few years, especially his performances for the Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League.
He etched his name in BBL history in the most recent edition by posting the fastest century in the history of the tournament, doing so in just 39 balls and going on to finish on 108 off 42 deliveries in the final against the Sydney Thunder.
Owen ended the BBL as the leading scorer, and his stunning knock led the Thunder to the title, while he has also turned out for the Paarl Royals in the SA20 2025 and represented Peshawar Zalmi in the ongoing Pakistan Super League.
