Punjab Kings are likely to part ways with their head coach Trevor Bayliss, after he failed to help them qualify for the playoffs in the last two seasons. PBKS are one of the three franchises that have not won an IPL title despite being part of the league since its inception in 2008. The last time Punjab qualified for playoffs was in 2014, when they lost in the final to Kolkata Knight Riders and since then, they have been finishing at the bottom half of the points table for a decade.
Bayliss, who guided KKR to the IPL title in the past, joined PBKS ahead of the 2023 season, signing a two-year contract. A report suggested that the franchise is unlikely to extend his contract and will look for a new head coach.
The report further stated that the franchise ownership group is not pleased with PBKS’s results under Bayliss, as they finished eighth and ninth in the last two seasons despite having a strong unit. Punjab have made some big-money signings in the auctions, including Sam Curran’s for INR 18.5 crore, but struggled to produce positive results on the field.
Punjab will look to replace Bayliss with an Indian coach as their Director of Cricket Sanjay Bangar might also be in consideration for the role, according to Cricbuzz’s report. PBKS was supposed to hold a board meeting on July 22, but it didn’t take place as they are still searching for the right candidate to replace Bayliss as a new head coach ahead of the 2025 mega auction.
The Indian coach has done well in the cash-rich league in recent times, with Ashish Nehra helping Gujarat Titans win the 2022 title and recently, Chandrakanth Pandit-Gautam Gambhir’s combo guided KKR to the title win this year.
Punjab will look for a new coaching staff to change their fortunes and take another shot at the prestigious IPL title. They are also expected to sign a new captain in the mega auction to replace Shikhar Dhawan, who has been out of the Indian team for a long time now.
