IPL 2024 is around the corner and Punjab Kings are ready again with all of its rival counterparts to fight for the title with new recruits in the squad.
In the last edition of IPL, Punjab Kings had failed to maintain a consistent winning streak which led them to the 8th position in the points table, just above DC and SRH. They won only 6 of the 14 matches they played and missed their chance to book a spot for the playoffs by 4 points.
The Kings will kick start their journey by locking horns with Delhi Capitals at Mohali on March 23.
Despite having a decent squad, PBKS pacers failed to deliver upto the expectation in the last IPL. The absence of some key players also aggravated the issues.
This year the Punjab side tried to fill the voids they had experienced in IPL 2023 by adding some big names to the squad. Yet the PBKS is far from a perfectly balanced squad as it is quite heavier on the bowling side and too dependable on foreign stars rather than successful domestic players.
Punjab Kings IPL 2024 Full Squad
Shikhar Dhawan (c), Matthew Short, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sikandar Raza, Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh, Nathan Ellis, Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Shivam Singh, Harshal Patel, Chris Woakes, Ashutosh Sharma, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Shashank Singh, Tanay Thyagarajan, Prince Choudhary, Rilee Rossouw.
IPL 2024: PBKS Buys in IPL 2024 Auction
The Kings bought the services of 8 players in the latest IPL auction.
Harshal Patel (Rs 11.75 cr), Rilee Rossouw (Rs 8 cr), Chris Woakes (Rs 4.2 cr), Tanay Thyagarajan (Rs 20 lakh), Vishwanath Pratap Singh (Rs 20 lakh), Ashutosh Sharma (Rs 20 lakh), Shashank Singh (Rs 20 lakh), Prince Choudhary (Rs 20 lakh).
Punjab Kings: Who can be PBKS’ best IPL 2024 Buys?
Harshal Patel
The 33-year-old Gujarat-born right-arm fast-medium bowler already bagged 111 wickets in 92 IPL matches. Patel had a great time at RCB but he will be wearing the Punjab colours this time.
The India pacer can provide the necessary depth in the pace battery of PBKS which they lacked in the last year. This is also going to be an important season for Harshal, especially with the T20 World Cup on the horizon.
Rilee Rossouw
Rossouw, though well known in the T20 format but is comparatively new to IPL with experience of only 14 matches.Though in this short span, the South African top-order batter delivered some decent performances. His stats in other T20 leagues show how critical he can be for the PBKS side in IPL 2024.
Rossouw was a last-minute buy for Punjab but the Proteas star can become a key player for them this season.
Chris Woakes
In the last edition of IPL, Punjab Kings had to pay for the inconsistent performances of the all-rounders very dearly. This issue can be solved with the inclusion of the English veteran Chris Woakes, who has a huge experience in international cricket.
Along with the star all-rounders like Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone & co., Woakes can be a vital cog of the Punjab lineup this season.
Sauradeep Ash Mykhel
source: mykhel.com