Punjab Kings (PBKS) have been active in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2008, but they haven’t won any trophy yet. They are also the most inconsistent side in the history of the T20 extravaganza, with only two appearances in playoffs. Their best performance came in 2014 when they became runners-up after losing to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the final.
Following the 2014 season, they saw several ups and downs but failed to qualify for playoffs. In the 2024 IPL, they will look to break the trophy jinx under Shikhar Dhawan’s captaincy. Before the tournament, Kings gave a hot topic to the media for investing INR 24.95 crore in eight players in the 2024 IPL auction held in Dubai.
After spending a huge amount at the business event, they got quality players such as Chris Woakes, Harshal Patel, and Rilee Rossow. With the addition of these eminent players, it’s essential to pick up 11 players who might form their best XI of the upcoming competition.
Here is the playing XI of PBKS after the conclusion of the IPL 2024 mini-auction:
1. Shikhar Dhawan
The team’s skipper Shikhar Dhawan will look to be at his best with his bat. As a captain, he will have to be among the runs and set an example for other players to perform efficiently in the competition. In the last two seasons, he ended up as the most successful batter for the team.
Dhawan hasn’t played any competitive match after the 2023 IPL edition. The veteran will be seen on the field almost after 11 months and it will be interesting to watch how he perform. In the last IPL season, he scored 373 runs in 11 contests at a strike rate of 142.91.
2. Jonny Bairstow
Jonny Bairstow failed to show up for PBKS in the 2023 IPL due to an injury. In 2024, he will be back in the cash-rich league, and his responsibility will be to open innings with Dhawan and deliver stable starts to Punjab. He struggled to play quality innings in the 2023 World Cup, but the PBKS team management didn’t lose faith in the England veteran and reserved him for the upcoming IPL edition.
The 34-year-old hasn’t produced quality knocks for his national side in recent games, but he looked spectacular in his last T20 International (T20I) series played against New Zealand at home. Appearing in four games, he accumulated 175 runs at an average of 58.33 and a strike rate of 147.05.
3. Prabhsimran Singh
Prabhsimran Singh put up a satisfactory show as an opening batter in the 2023 IPL. The 23-year-old hit 358 runs in 14 matches at a magnificent strike rate of 150.42. In 2024, Bairstow will make a comeback in the squad, and Prabhsimran might not get the task of opening innings with the skipper.
However, the team management might trust the youngster to bat at number three. Prabhsmiran exuded confidence for his domestic side Punjab in the 2023-24 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He scored 255 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 144.88. Later, he looked decent with his bat in the 2023-24 Vijay Hazare Trophy as well. The youngster will be expected to justify his role in PBKS as well in the upcoming IPL season.
4. Liam Livingstone
Liam Livingstone has served PBKS excellently in the last two years. He has notched up 716 runs in 23 games for PBKS at a notable strike rate of 174.20. The star English player is known for his power-hitting ability, and captain Dhawan will look to utilize his sharp talent for the team’s benefit.
Livingstone will look to continue his aggressive approach in 2024 again to deliver the desired results to the side. The 30-year-old hasn’t looked consistent with his bat for England in recent games, but PBKS didn’t release him as they are aware that he is the man of big matches and can do a lot for them with his all-round talent.
5. Jitesh Sharma
Jitesh Sharma will be seen as a wicketkeeper-batter for Punjab in 2024 again. In the previous season, he displayed his batting prowess and won several hearts. The right-handed batter piled up 309 runs in 14 games at a remarkable strike rate of 156.06. His outstanding performance also helped him make his debut in India colours in T20 Internationals (T20Is).
PBKS will look to nurture this talent and make him a crucial asset for their team. Jitesh is known for his hard-striking potential, and the team will want to utilize his strength. The team management might assign him the job of a finisher in the marquee cricketing event.
6. Sam Curran
Sam Curran was the most expensive player in the 2023 IPL auction after getting fetched for a whopping sum of INR 18.50 crore. Following this massive deal, Punjab supporters were keeping their expectations high from the England stalwart. However, his performance in the competition revealed that he failed to justify his role.
His primary job was to bolster Punjab’s pace attack, but he failed to do that efficiently. Appearing in 14 contests, he scalped only 10 wickets at an expensive economy of 10.22. While as a batter, he scored 276 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate of 135.96. Despite Curran’s ordinary show, Punjab threw their support behind him. The 25-year-old will endeavour to exhibit his class with both bat and ball in the upcoming competition.
7. Harpreet Brar
Harpreet Brar will look forward to serving Punjab’s spin attack brilliantly in 2024. The 28-year-old has been a part of the team since his debut season in 2019, and during these five years, he has taken 18 wickets for the team in 28 matches at a fine economy of 7.88. Brar provides variety to Punjab’s spin attack with his slow-left-arm-othodox bowling.
Along with the leggie Rahul Chahar, Punjab will want him to solidify their spin department and provide breakthroughs to the side in crunch situations. In the 2023-24 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Brar looked stunning with the ball, picking up 15 wickets in 10 games at a frugal economy of 7.23. His form will satisfy PBKS, and they will want him to bowl economical and wicket-taking spells for them as well.
8. Harshal Patel
Harshal Patel became the most expensive Indian player in the 2024 IPL auction. He received a lucrative contract of 11.75 crore from Punjab Kings (PBKS) to serve the side in the upcoming IPL season. The paceman will strengthen the team with his immense experience. He has been playing in the cash-rich league since 2012, and thus far, he has taken 111 wickets in 91 matches at an economy of 8.59.
In 2021, Harshal grabbed 32 wickets in 15 matches at an economy of 8.14 and became the recipient of the Purple Cap. Punjab have shown faith in his experience and magnificent bowling skills. In the tournament, he will have to prove himself with the ball and justify his enormous price.
9. Kagiso Rabada
South Africa star speedster Kagiso Rabada will spearhead Punjab’s pace attack. The Protea stalwart joined PBKS in 2022 and looked superb with the ball in his maiden season for the team, bagging 23 wickets in 13 games. In 2023, expectations were high, but he failed to be effective. Appearing in six matches, he got only seven wickets at a horrendous economy of 10.09.
These numbers do not suit his stature, and he will be expected to compensate in the upcoming IPL installment. Rabada was in decent form in 2023. His last white-ball tournament was the 2023 World Cup, in which he took 13 wickets for the Protea side in nine matches. In the 2024 IPL, Punjab will heavily rely on Rabada to get early breakthroughs.
10. Arshdeep Singh
Arshdeep Singh will have to assist his senior colleagues Rabada and Harshal to reinforce Kings’ fast-bowling unit. In the previous season, he became the leading wicket-taker for the side with 17 wickets in 14 matches but at a disastrous economy of 9.69. Throughout the competition, he lacked discipline, which put PBKS in precarious situations.
Forgetting his underwhelming bowling display in the last season, Arshdeep will go to the tournament confidently. Recently, the 24-year-old helped India register their second One-Day International (ODI) series victory on South African soil. In the third ODI played in Paarl, he picked up a four-wicket haul and guided India to a 78-run win. Earlier, he also took a fifer in India’s convincing eight-wicket triumph in the first ODI in Johannesburg.
11. Rahul Chahar
Rahul Chahar has led the Kings’ spin department confidently since joining the team in 2022. The 24-year-old has taken 22 wickets for the side in 27 matches played in the last two seasons. The leggie will have to be at his best in 2024 to help his team dazzle in the tournament.
The youngster did a fabulous job in the 2023 -24 Vijay Hazare Trophy. Serving Rajasthan, he got 18 wickets in nine matches at an economy of 5.16. The PBKS management will want him to continue his excellent work in the upcoming days and stun batters with his superb leg-break bowling in the 2024 IPL.
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