IPL 2023 Punjab Kings franchise is one of the biggest underachievers in the world’s best T20 League. They haven’t qualified for playoffs in eight seasons and have appointed a new captain and head coach for the new season. With some terrific overseas players in their roster, can they seal a top-four finish finally?
IPL 2023 Punjab Kings Players
Punjab Kings (PBKS), who finished sixth in the IPL 2022 points table, will enter the new season with high hopes after snapping all-rounder Sam Curran for a record Rs 18.5 crore in the IPL 2023 auction. The Englishman, the player of the tournament in the T20 World Cup 2022, is no stranger to Indian conditions. On the other hand, pacer Kagiso Rabada will be keen to continue his exploits from last season. He finished third in the most wickets chart with 23 wickets.
The ever-reliable Arshdeep Singh is another quality pacer in Punjab Kings’ roster. Meanwhile, Rahul Chahar is the most-experienced spinner in the squad. He took 14 wickets in IPL 2022 and will be hoping to raise his game in the upcoming season. Leg-Mohit Rathee, who plies his trade with Services, is a player to keep an eye on. Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza – bought for Rs. 50 lakh – is also a spin-bowling option.
Punjab Kings’ batting unit heavily depends on Jonny Bairstow, who has been one of the pivotal figures in England’s resurrection in red-ball cricket. The skipper Shikhar Dhawan has been in patchy form in white-ball cricket. The Punjab Kings fans will be pinning their hopes on big-hitters Liam Livingstone, who played for Rajasthan Royals in 2019, and Bhanuka Rajapaksa.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Jitesh Sharma is another exciting player likely to play a crucial role this season. The 29-year-old had a breakthrough campaign last season, racking 234 runs at a strike rate of 163.63. He had a decent outing with the bat in the 2022 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Tamil Nadu’s Shahrukh Khan will also want to impress after making only eight appearances last time.
Punjab Kings Team 2023
Shikhar Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Vidwath Kaverappa, Shivam Singh, Shahrukh Khan, Rishi Dhawan, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Raj Angad Bawa, Rahul Chahar, Mohit Rathee, Jitesh Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh, Harpreet Brar, Harpreet Singh Bhatia, Sikandar Raza, Baltej Dhanda, Nathan Ellis, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh.
Punjab Kings Captain IPL 2023
Shikhar Dhawan, bought by the franchise in the IPL 2022 mega auction, is the Punjab Kings captain for the upcoming season. He replaces Mayank Agarwal, who left the franchise ahead of the IPL 2023 auction. The opening batter, who captained India in a few matches, donned the captain’s armband for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2014 season.
Shikhar Dhawan IPL Captaincy Record
Matches: 11, Won: 4, Lost: 7
Punjab Kings Coach IPL 2023
Punjab Kings roped in Trevor Bayliss as their new head coach. The Australian is among the most successful coaches. Bayliss guided England to their maiden ODI World Cup triumph in 2019. Under his coaching, Kolkata Knight Riders won both their IPL titles. He has also helped Sydney Sixers to Big Bash League (BBL) title in the 2011-2012 season.
IPL 2023 Punjab Kings Schedule
Like last season, Punjab Kings will be eyeing a solid start to their 2023 campaign. The Mohali-based outfit defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chennai Super Kings, and Mumbai Indians early in the season. However, they couldn’t put together a string of victories. Punjab Kings failed to make the playoffs despite winning two of their last three fixtures.
IPL 2023 Punjab Kings Venue
Punjab Kings return to their home ground, IS Bindra Stadium, in Mohali for the first time since the COVID-19 disruption. In the 2019 season, Punjab Kings won five of their seven fixtures at the venue, which has a capacity of 30,000. Two matches will be hosted by Dharamsala’s HPCA Stadium.
Punjab Kings have let down their finals in the last few years. The franchise has a world-class overseas unit and some experienced and young domestic players on their roster this season. Will they shed the underachiever’s tag in IPL 2023 edition?
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FAQs
What are Sam Curran’s IPL stats?
Sam Curran has taken 32 wickets at an economy of 9.21 in IPL. He has also claimed a hat-trick for Punjab Kings in the 2019 season.
What is the total Jonny Bairstow IPL runs?
Jonny Bairstow has scored 1291 runs in 39 innings. The Englishman has scored one century and nine fifties.
When was the last season Punjab Kings qualified for playoffs?
It was in 2014 Punjab Kings last qualified for playoffs. They finished runners-up in that season.
