In a major blow to Punjab Kings (PBKS), star all-rounder Glenn Maxwell ruled out for the rest of IPL 2025 following a finger injury. The news comes alongside PBKS continuing to struggle without the services of fast bowler Lockie Ferguson, who was previously ruled out with a severe injury.
Maxwell Ruled Out After Fracturing Finger
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PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer announced the news during the toss before their game against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), saying:
“It’s really unfortunate that he’s fractured his finger. Honestly, we have not decided on the replacements as yet, but we are fairly strong in the mindset of our team and the bench strength.”
Allrounder Marcus Stoinis also said Maxwell at first believed the injury was not severe, but scans confirmed a fracture that has sealed his season:
“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.”
Poor Form Before Injury
Glenn Maxwell’s batting form had been disappointing this season. In six innings, he scored just 48 runs, with four consecutive single-digit scores. Though Maxwell struggled with the bat, he contributed with the ball, taking four wickets with his offspin.
Maxwell was acquired by PBKS for INR 4.2 crore in the previous mega auction.
Lockie Ferguson Also Ruled Out, No Replacement Yet
This is the second significant injury of the tournament for PBKS. Lockie Ferguson was already out of the game earlier this season because of a serious injury. The team has not announced a replacement yet for the New Zealand pacer.
PBKS Coach Ricky Ponting on Replacement Strategy
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The head coach of PBKS, Ricky Ponting, had his say regarding the team’s strategy for identifying effective replacements for both Maxwell and Ferguson:
“We’ll be replacing some at some point. We have until game 12 to declare them. Since the PSL is around the same time, there are not a whole lot of high-calibre replacements available.” Ponting spoke of the depth within the squad and stated that there were players like Azmatullah Omarzai, Aaron Hardie, and Xavier Bartlett who might contribute more based on match conditions, particularly in Dharamsala.
He also revealed that the team is scouting young Indian talent, with some promising players already training with the squad.
“We’ll have a closer look at them in Dharamsala. It has to be this week, before the 12th game, so stay tuned.”
Current Standings and Playoff Race
Despite the injury setbacks, Punjab Kings are now second on the IPL 2025 points table, behind only Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). CSK is the only team to date to be out of playoff contention.
Key Takeaways: Maxwell Ruled Out of IPL 2025
Glenn Maxwell has been ruled out due to a fractured finger.
He made just 48 runs in 6 games but picked up 4 wickets with the ball.
Lockie Ferguson was already out; no replacement announced yet.
PBKS are looking at both overseas and Indian players as replacements.
PBKS are still strong contenders in IPL 2025 despite injury setbacks.
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