IPL 2023 Punjab Kings (PBKS) franchise grabbed the headlines in the mini auction by rewriting the record books. The Mohali-based franchise bought two world-class all-rounders and a few talented domestic players in the auction held on December 23.
IPL 2023 Punjab Kings – New Arrivals
PBKS (previously Kings XI Punjab) had released its captain Mayank Agarwal and eight others ahead of the auction. The list also included overseas players Odean Smith and Benny Howell. Meanwhile, the franchise retained Jonny Bairstow, Kagiso Rabada, and Liam Livingstone.
England all-rounder Sam Curran was the first player to join PBKS in the auction. After fierce bidding, the franchise sealed the signature of the 24-year-old for a record fee. Sikandar Raza is another overseas player who will wear the PBKS jersey in the IPL 2023. He has been one of the consistent performers in white-ball cricket for a long time.
PBKS – owned by Mohit Burman, Ness Wadia, Preity Zinta, and Karan Paul – also added four uncapped domestic players. Harpreet Singh Bhatia is a medium-pacer who has plied his trade with Kolkata Knight Riders, Pune Warriors India, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. The remaining three – Shivam Singh, Vidwath Kaverappa, and Mohit Rathee – are yet to make their IPL debut.
Expensive Buys
Sam Curran became the costliest signing in IPL history. PBKS splashed a whopping Rs 18.5 crore for the Englishman, who was the player of the tournament in the T20 World Cup 2022. Curran made his IPL debut with PBKS in the 2019 season and took a hat-trick against Delhi Capitals.
Punjab Kings added Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza to their ranks for Rs 50 lakh. Raza, born in Pakistan, has been outstanding with both bat and ball for Zimbabwe in the last few years. The 36-year-old scored more than 1000 runs at a strike rate of 143 in T20s in 2022. He claimed ten wickets at an economy of 6.50 in the T20 World Cup 2022.
Uncapped Harpreet Singh Bhatia is the third most expensive signing with Rs 40 lakh.
Punjab Kings Auction Players
Punjab Kings Auction – The 23-year-old Fast Bowler
Punjab Kings Players List
Punjab Kings, who appointed a new head coach and captain, have enough quality to make it to the playoffs in the IPL 2023 season. The overseas line-up is full of big hitters, and the pace attack consisting of Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep Singh is lethal. Also, they will be expecting the uncapped domestic players to step up this season.
Indian players – Shikhar Dhawan (captain), Vidwath Kaverappa, Shivam Singh, Shahrukh Khan, Rishi Dhawan, Raj Angad Bawa, Rahul Chahar, Mohit Rathee, Jitesh Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh, Harpreet Brar, Harpreet Singh Bhatia, Baltej Dhanda, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh
Overseas players – Sikandar Raza, Sam Curran, Nathan Ellis, Liam Livingstone, Kagiso Rabada, Jonny Bairstow, Bhanuka Rajapaksa
PBKS Playing XI (probable) – Shikhar Dhawan, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh, Rahul Chahar, Shahrukh Khan, Rishi Dhawan
Punjab Kings Team 2023 – Facts & Stats
Youngest player: Raj Angad Bawa (20 years)
Most IPL appearances: Shikhar Dhawan (206 matches)
Most IPL runs: Shikhar Dhawan (6244 runs)
Most IPL wickets: Kagiso Rabada (99 wickets)
Punjab Kings haven’t made the playoffs since the 2014 season, where they finished runners-up. Despite having plenty of quality players, the franchise fell short of expectations in the last eight seasons. Will a new Punjab Kings team emerge in the IPL 2023 season?
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