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Cricket PlayersIPL 2022: Batting concerns addressed but lack of depth in spin attack could trouble Punjab Kings
IPL 2022: Punjab Kings have addressed their batting concerns but a lack of depth in spin department could potentially hurt the side's charge for a maiden IPL title.
Over the years, Punjab Kings have boasted of some of the biggest hard-hitting players in T20 cricket. While KL Rahul was a consistent presence in the squad, he was ably supported by fellow Karnataka batter Mayank Agarwal in the opening order. Glenn Maxwell was the part of the side in the 2020 edition, and so did Chris Gayle. However, lack of strength in the middle order and inconsistent bowling performances hurt Punjab Kings in their quest for a maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title. Following the end of 2021 season, the side saw major changes to the squad.
KL Rahul left the side and the side also made a rather controversial decision of releasing young leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi. The franchise only retained two players – Mayank Agarwal and Arshdeep Singh. PBKS were set for a major overhaul, and after the two days of tedious mega auction, the franchise were among the most satisfied of the lot with their final squad.
Punjab were lauded for getting the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada, Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow and Odean Smith at the IPL auction. Apart from the other retained player in Arshdeep Singh, Punjab also bought back uncapped power-hitter Shahrukh Khan. The franchise has underperformed for years and their only final appearance came way back in 2014.
Riding on a star-studded lineup, the management will now be pinning hopes on its latest recruits to change the team's fortunes under Mayank Agarwal, who was appointed the captain of the franchise earlier this month. As the PBKS are set for their 15th season in the tournament, take a look at the side’s SWOT analysis:
Strength Batting order
The Punjab Kings invested heavily in their batting order, which had been a major reason for their inconsistency throughout the years. The franchise had opened the bidding in the IPL mega auction on Day 1 with their first bid for Shikhar Dhawan, and eventually succeeded in his signature at INR 8.25 crore.
PBKS went on to players like Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow, and Shahrukh Khan to solidify their batting order, in addition to all-rounders like Odean Smith and Rishi Dhawan who can play a handy role with the bat.
Dhawan has been one of the most consistent performers in IPL history and remains the second-highest run-getter in the tournament so far, with 5874 runs in 192 matches at a strike rate of 126.64.
Weakness Spin bowling
In the previous season, Ravi Bishnoi was the frontline spinner for the Punjab Kings and the franchise has replaced him with another leg-break bowler, Rahul Chahar. However, the 22-year-old remains the sole seasoned spinner in the Punjab Kings squad, with Harpreet Brar being the only other out-and-out spin bowler for the side.
Apart from the two, all the other spin options are all-rounders like Liam Livingstone, Writtick Chatterjee, and Shahrukh Khan.
Going into the season, Rahul Chahar will be bearing enormous expectations in the spin bowling department.
Opportunities Strong middle order
It had been a major weakness for Punjab Kings over the past many years, but Anil Kumble and the coaching staff did their homework well ahead of the IPL mega auction. The side invested heavily in strengthening its middle-order, roping in players like Bairstow, Livingstone, Shahrukh, Bawa and Smith.
Barring Bairstow, all the other players can also chip in with crucial few overs if needed, which further adds to their importance in the XI.
More importantly, however, it means the top-order can play more freely. The side’s former captain KL Rahul, who will now be leading the Lucknow Super Giants, had stressed heavily in a recent interview over the importance of a strong middle-order; this comes from his own experience of leading the PBKS when the side endured inconsistent performances from their no.3, 4 and 5, forcing Rahul to be restrictive against his otherwise hard-hitting game.
Threats Quality in pace
Punjab Kings bought South Africa’s star pacer Kagiso Rabada for INR 9.25 crore in the mega auction. However, none of the Indian pacers – at the moment – are international regulars in the side. Arshdeep Singh, Sandeep Sharma, and Rishi Dhawan are the Indian pacers who are likely to partner Rabada.
Among overseas pacers, West Indies’ Odean Smith can bowl alongside Rabada; however, this will be his maiden season in the tournament. Nathan Ellis was also bought in the IPL auction but his place in the XI isn’t assured, as Bairstow, Livingtone, Smith, and Rabada are likely to be preferred.
PBKS squad: Mayank Agarwal, Arshdeep Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada, Jonny Bairstow, Rahul Chahar, Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Prabhsimran Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Ishan Porel, Liam Livingstone, Odean Smith, Sandeep Sharma, Raj Bawa, Rishi Dhawan, Prerak Mankad, Vaibhav Arora, Writtick Chatterjee, Baltej Dhanda, Ansh Patel, Nathan Ellis, Atharva Taide, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Benny Howell
