Let’s be honest—losing a key player in the middle of a tournament is every team’s nightmare. For Peshawar Zalmi, that nightmare is about to get very real. In the thick of the PSL 2025 season, when every match could make or break playoff hopes, Zalmi are set to lose one of their most exciting assets: Mitchell Owen. The young Australian sensation, who’s been making waves from Hobart to Peshawar, is heading to the IPL to replace Glenn Maxwell for the Punjab Kings. And just like that, Zalmi’s already wobbly campaign takes another hit.
Mitchell Owen: More Than Just a Replacement
To call Mitchell Owen a “replacement” player is a real slap in the face. Yes, he was a replacement for both the PSL (Corbin Bosch) and just now in the IPL (Glenn Maxwell), but he is no alternative player. He may be the most publicized emerging player in T20 cricket this year.
At just 23, Owen made his debut in BBL 2024-25, finishing as the tournament’s highest run scorer with 452 runs at an extraordinary strike rate of over 200. His mesmerizing knock of 108 runs off only 42 balls in the last game of the tournament to help Hobart Hurricanes take the title landed him headlines as he became the talk of the town overnight.
Zalmi fans quickly saw what the hype was about. Owen brought a dose of Aussie swagger and consistency to a team that’s struggled with momentum. Now, with the business end of the season approaching and Zalmi sitting dangerously close to the bottom of the table, his departure couldn’t have come at a worse time.
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Timing Is Everything—And It’s Not In Zalmi’s Favor
Zalmi’s last group stage game is on May 9, and Owen will likely be on a flight to India right after. What’s the issue? If Zalmi somehow make the playoffs, they will have to do so without their best player. That would be like trying to win a race after your best sprinter pulls a hamstring.
Just to make this more convoluted, Owen is only in PSL because Corbin Bosch vacated a spot from Zalmi to join Mumbai Indians, and managed to get an entire year ban from PSL while doing so. Is that ironic or what?
An Erosion of PSL’s Star Power—and Credibility?
There is also a larger picture. Owen’s situation highlights the ongoing tension between global T20 events. While the PSL has a great reputation over time, they are still battling it out to keep their international stars when the IPL is throwing cash around.
It’s not only about the money, although Owen is said to be taking home 3 crore INR for the IPL run. It’s also about exposure, career progression, and if we are being honest with ourselves, the IPL is still the world stage. The IPL is a tremendous career opportunity for new players like Owen, and leaving a franchise mid-season isn’t just opportunism – it’s strategic.
With Owen moving on, Zalmi is going to have to scour the talent pool—hard. The playoffs are still possible (mathematically), but without their MVP, the struggle just began. It is a difficult situation for the team and an even more difficult situation for the fans who were really starting to dream.
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