IPL 2023: Can Punjab Kings Banish Inconsistency?

After the auction, PBKS had 12.2 crore available which shows they missed out on certain key elements. PBKS under Dhawan need to get going from the onset. Also, banishing the dependency on certain star figures ...

- 

Punjab Kings have been one of the most Dunderperforming sides in the Indian Premier P League. One major factor that has hindered their growth is too many changes in personnel in IPL auctions. On paper, PBKS look promising but going by their trend over the years; one can doubt whether they have the credentials to go all the way. With Mayank Agarwal gone, PBKS now have another new Shikhar Dhawan skipper. In the IPL 2023 auction, PBKS made a headline purchase in England's Sam Curran, shelling out a whopping 18.5 crore. However, they did get one piece of business right, and that was in Zimbabwe's Sikandar Raza. PBKS have the luxury of several impact players in the side with world-class attributes. However, the overall depth and balance in certain areas are a miss. And this has been a glaring issue in the kind of auction they dwell upon. On a given day, PBKS can be a handful, but in a long season, their consistency can take a hit. In IPL 2023 as well, this can plague them. After the auction, PBKS had 12.2 crore available which shows they missed out on certain key elements. PBKS under Dhawan need to get going from the onset. Also, banishing the dependency on certain star figures needs to stop. A collective show and giveaway by players will be their key lookout. PBKS haven’t been able to stamp their authority in the IPL and fans will hope they give a different outlook under new management. One major question is can they deliver the goods? Here we analyze PBKS ahead of the IPL 2023 season.

FULL SQUAD OF PBKS

Shikhar Dhawan (c), Shahrukh Khan, Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jitesh Sharma, Raj Bawa, Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh, Baltej Singh, Nathan Ellis, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Brar, Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Mohit Rathee, Shivam Singh