Ex-PBKS all-rounder blames Punjab Kings owners for not winning IPL titles
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Former PBKS all-rounder Irfan Pathan claimed the Punjab Kings owners interfered with the decision of the team management, which was one of the central reasons for them not securing an IPL title.
The Punjab Kings played their first-ever IPL tournament in 2008, the inaugural season of the competition. The Kings have been playing in the franchise league for over 18 seasons, and they have not managed to win a single edition before.
The Punjab Kings went on to feature in two finals in IPL history. They played their first-ever final in 2014 under Australian skipper George Bailey and then played it for the second time under skipper Shreyas Iyer in 2025.
"Coaches who are not from a cricket background, what they feed them remains a big problem." - Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan, the former PBKS all-rounder, revealed that the Punjab Kings have been making too many changes over all these years in the IPL, and also highlighted the swap between the initial seasons.
"Talking particularly about Punjab Kings, when I played for them 3 years ago between 2008 and 2010, one thing could be seen clearly: that the hindrance was in decision-making. Whether you are talking about coaches, staff or the captain.
"Yuvi was captain in the first year; we reached the semi-finals in the inaugural season, but then the IPL moved to South Africa, and we could not perform well there. The leadership should have remained the same, but it was changed in 2010," Pathan recalled.
He then went on to add that the Punjab Kings' owners have had an impact on team selections and intruded in the management's functioning, which resulted in PBKS not winning a single title in the IPL.
"What coaches talk about with owners who don't come from a cricketing background and what they feed them plays a massive role. This has been with Punjab; the owners of Punjab also seemed the same at the beginning," the PBKS all-rounder claimed.
"Though they seem the best of owners in a 1-on-1 situation, however, it seemed that there was a lack of devotion during the initial years. Their decision-making had an impact; if the owners were not on the same page regarding team selections or more.
"However, now the situation has changed, as they have tried to give more stability to their players in recent times," he added.
"Lack of a stable leadership," Irfan Pathan mentions the real reason behind PBKS' failure
The former all-rounder reflected on how the PBKS team has been lacking stable leadership in the IPL. He revealed that the problem has been there within the PBKS camp for all these years.
"But if you change 12 captains in 18 years, it means there should be a stable leadership that was not seen. And when there is no stability, then the players will remain insecure, and in such a difficult league, where the players are subjected to immense pressure, they fail to perform.
"With Punjab, this problem has been with them for the last few years," Pathan added.
Unclear decision-making?
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 21, 2026
12 captains changed.
Players under pressure? 👀@IrfanPathan dissects the key flaws that have held @PunjabKingsIPL back in TATA IPL history! 🧐#TATAIPL 2026 👉 #RCBvSRH | SAT, 28th MAR, 5:30 PM pic.twitter.com/4OM46g0rxz
Will Shreyas Iyer finally lead them to an IPL title in 2026?
Shreyas Iyer, the second-highest-paid cricketer in the history of the IPL, was bought for a whopping price in 2025. Iyer captained the Punjab Kings to their second final in the history of the competition. Ricky Ponting was appointed as the head coach of the tournament.
Shreyas Iyer won the title with the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024, and before that, he had led the Delhi Capitals to the IPL final. Having finished 2025 as the runners-up, they would like to bounce back in 2026 and repeat their highs to hand PBKS the first-ever IPL trophy.
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