Punjab Kings made some interesting buys in the mega auction of IPL 2022. It only retained two players Arshdeep Singh and Mayank Agarwal, and the team bought 23 players including Shikhar Dhawan for INR 8.5 crore, South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada for INR 9.25 crore and English batsman Jonny Bairstow for ₹6.75 crore and west indies batsman Odean smith for 6 crores.
With the goal of winning the first IPL championship, the 2014 finalists have rebuilt their squad. It is important to note that Punjab hasn’t made it to the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons. We explore the team’s strengths and weaknesses as the new-look Punjab Kings prepare to create history in IPL 2022.
Punjab Kings 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
Punjab Kings IPL 2022 Match Schedule:
- March 27: PBKS vs RCB, 7:30 PM at DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai
- April 1: PBKS vs KKR, 7:30 PM at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
- April 3: PBKS vs CSK, 7:30 PM at Brabourne – CCI
- April 8 :PBKS vs GT, 7:30 PM Brabourne – CCI
- April 13: PBKS vs MI, 7:30 PM at MCA Stadium, Pune
- April 17: PBKS vs SRH, 3:30 PM at DY Patil Stadium
- April 20: PBKS vs DC, 7:30 PM at MCA Stadium, Pune
- April 25: PBKS vs CSK, 7:30 PM at Wankhede Stadium
- April 29, PBKS vs LSG, 7:30 PM at MCA Stadium, Pune
- May 3: PBKS vs GT, 7:30 PM at DY Patil Stadium
- May 7: PBKS vs RR, 3:30 PM at Wankhede Stadium
- May 13: PBKS vs RCB, 7:30 PM at Brabourne – CCI
- May 16: PBKS vs DC, 7:30 PM at DY Patil Stadium
- May 22: PBKS vs SRH, 7:30 PM at Wankhede Stadium
PBKS Strength
A good place to start would be with their top 3. Punjab is likely to begin with Jonny Bairstow and Shikhar Dhawan as their opening pair. As a result, Mayank Agarwal comes in at no. 3 spot, so the top order batting lineup is worth watching. In the IPL, both Dhawan and Bairstow have proven themselves, although for different teams.
In this season, the Punjab Kings will be able to rely on their top three players as a key strength. The former skipper KL Rahul is no longer with the team, but the new captain Mayank Agarwal has already been on par with the former captain. So, It will be interesting to watch their new batting lineup. In addition, the team spent a lot of money on Kagiso Rabada and Liam Livingstone, as well as Indian superstar Shahrukh Khan.
PBKS Weakness: Punjab’s batting unit is strong, but they need to watch out for the bowling department to make a strong case for the playoffs. The Punjab Kings have been losing a lot of close games, so they need to focus on their reliable finisher role to made to playoffs. The Kings also need to work on their bowling abilities and make sure they can win their games.