Yash Thakur IPL 2025: 25 wickets, 5-wicket haul, 17.72 strike-rate – Punjab Kings’ new-ball weapon Punjab Kings struck gold ahead of IPL 2025 by securing the services of right-arm speedster Yash Thakur, a three-season veteran already boasting the rare combination of a five-wicket haul and a sub-18 strike-rate. Across 21 bowling innings split between Lucknow Super Giants (2023-24) and now Punjab Kings, the 26-year-old has snapped 25 wickets while sending down 443 high-pressure deliveries. His 17.72 balls-per-wicket strike-rate sits among the quickest for any Indian seamer with 20-plus IPL wickets, while two three-wicket bursts and a solitary five-for underline his gift for breaking open games. Thakur’s most devastating spell came in the 2024 season when he tormented an opposition top-order with 5/30—figures that remain the joint-best by a LSG bowler in the tournament’s history. Despite bowling mostly in the powerplay and at the death, he has kept his economy within striking distance of 10.5 runs per over, illustrating both courage and control on batting-friendly tracks. Having already changed jerseys once—from Lucknow’s green to Punjab’s red—the Madhya Pradesh-born quick will look to add fresh chapters to his wicket tally in 2025, spearheading PBKS’s quest for a maiden IPL title.

Hardik Pandya IPL career story: 11 seasons, 2749 runs at a 146 strike-rate, 148 sixes, 10 half-centuries Hardik Pandya has been one of the Indian Premier League’s most explosive batting all-rounders since his 2015 debut with Mumbai Indians. Across 140 innings he has unleashed 2,749 runs off just 1,871 balls, translating to a fearsome strike-rate of 146—the sort of number that turns middle-overs into match-winning passages. He has cleared the ropes 148 times and found the boundary another 207 times, underlining why captains post straight long-on and deep mid-wicket for him from ball one. His highest score of 91 and ten half-centuries show he can both finish innings and anchor them when required. While Pandya’s primary currency is runs, he has also delivered 78 wickets in 107 bowling innings, including one five-for and five three-wicket bursts. Operating at an economy of 9.18 and a strike-rate of 20.87, he often bowls the difficult overs at the death, trusting his cutters and the slower ball. Having represented Mumbai Indians for eight of his eleven campaigns and captained Gujarat Titans to the 2022 title, Pandya’s dual-skill value has made him a marquee name every mega auction.

Note: This overview is partially generated using AI and is based on statistical data. Please verify with official sources for complete accuracy.