In what has come as an unprecedented move, the Punjab Kings (PBKS) have replaced injured Glenn Maxwell with a player who was plying his trade in another league simultaneously. Yes, PBKS have roped in Mitchell Owen, who was playing in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 until Friday, will now join the franchise for his maiden IPL stint. Maxwell was ruled out of rest of IPL 2025 on May 1.
Owen ditches PSL for IPL 2025?
It is quite bewildering to know that Owen was regularly playing in the PSL 2025 under Babar Azam’s captaincy at Peshawar Zalmi. However, he has basically ditched the league that is concurrently going in Pakistan. The fact that Ricky Ponting is the head coach of PBKS would’ve definitely played a part. Ponting was part of the commentary when Owen showcased his immense talent at the Big Bash League earlier this year. Hence, Ponting knows his Australian talent and has thus lured him to be an injury replacement for Maxwell.
Who is Mitchell Owen, new IPL debutant?
Mitchell Owen is a dynamic Australian allrounder whose cricketing journey has taken flight in recent seasons. Once a fringe player for Hobart Hurricanes, Owen spent years batting in the lower order, showing glimpses of raw power but never quite cementing a role.
That changed dramatically in the 2024/25 Big Bash League, where a timely promotion to opener saw him explode onto the scene with a blistering 80 in an intra-club match—an innings that reshaped his career. He followed it up with a stunning century (108 off 42 balls) during the BBL season. He had a freakish season with the Hurricanes, helping them to lift their maiden crown with his 452 runs at a strike rate of over 200. In the final, Owen smashed a 39-ball century!
When will Mitchell Owen be eligible to play for PBKS?
The PSL ends on May 18. If Zalmi reach the final, Owen can’t leave until then. Meanwhile, Owen’s IPL team, PBKS, finish their league stage matches on May 16. If Punjab make the playoffs (starting May 20), Owen will be available. He joined Zalmi mid-season as a replacement for Corbin Bosch, who ditched PSL to sign as a replacement player for Lizaad Williams at Mumbai Indians (MI).
Having said that, Peshawar are currently fifth on the table. If they remain there and fail to qualify for the next stage, Owen will be available to play for Punjab from May 11 onwards (vs MI).
Mitchell Owen at Big Bash League 2024/25
- Runs: 452
- Matches: 11
- Average: 45.20
- Strike Rate: 203.60
- Was Part of BBL 2024/25 Team of the Season with 6 out of 8 votes
Punjab Kings IPL 2025 squad
Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer(c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Josh Inglis(w), Suryansh Shedge, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Azmatullah Omarzai, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Xavier Bartlett, Praveen Dubey, Musheer Khan, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Glenn Maxwell (injured), Marcus Stoinis, Vishnu Vinod, Yash Thakur, Aaron Hardie, Kuldeep Sen, Harnoor Singh, Pyla Avinash, Lockie Ferguson (injured), Mitchell Owen.
