Punjab Kings have officially signed Australian all-rounder Mitchell Owen into their side ahead of the resumption of IPL 2025 on Friday. Owen is a replacement for injured Glenn Maxwell and was signed earlier this month for Rs 3 crore to play out the remainder of the season.
The 23-year-old Owen comes with impressive credentials, having played 34 T20 matches, scoring 646 runs including two hundreds and a personal best 108. With the ball, he has picked up 10 wickets. He had played for Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) prior to signing up with the IPL franchise.
Owen impressed in his first PSL season, scoring 102 runs from eight innings at a strike rate of 192.45.
Though he remained unsold at last year's IPL mega auction, Owen's luck changed significantly earlier this year. In January, he put his name to history in the Big Bash League when he blasted 108 from as many as 42 balls—11 sixes included—to tie Craig Simmons' record for the fastest BBL century. His whirlwind knock helped the Hobart Hurricanes win their inaugural title.
He continued his blistering run of form by thrashing 149 off 69 balls for Tasmania in the One-Day Cup. This series of performances caught the eyes of various franchises, and he agreed to terms in the SA20 and PSL tournaments.
Punjab Kings are third on the IPL 2025 standings with seven wins in 11 matches and are well placed for a playoff charge. They play their next match against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
The team has already arrived in Jaipur and began practicing on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Australian duo Marcus Stoinis and Josh Inglis are expected to arrive with the team prior to PBKS' match against Delhi Capitals on May 24, sources told IANS.
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