Punjab Kings is one of the most entertaining teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL). It’s fair to say that they have displayed a staggering brand of cricket in almost every season but somehow they fail to succumb to the pressure and falter in qualifying for the playoffs. Many big names have been part of the team and have given great entertainment to the fans. The IPL 2023 will be another opportunity for them to claim the title. The league will begin from 31st March and the Shikhar Dhawan-led side would want to better their position of No.6 from the last few seasons. They played good cricket last year but couldn’t hold on to the momentum, which was the reason behind their downfall. Under the new skipper, they would be looking to end their title drought.
Strongest Playing 11 of Punjab Kings for the IPL 2022
Punjab Kings will open their IPL 2023 campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders on 1st April in Mohali. They made quite a few changes to their squad from the last season and also Shikhar Dhawan will be in charge of the team this time around.
If we talk about their playing 11 for the tournament, there’s no brainer that skipper Shikhar Dhawan will open the innings. The southpaw has been one of the best batters in the league and has piled up over 400 runs each season over the past few years.
But with Jonny Bairstow not being there, the question remains who will open the batting alongside the captain. The franchise might look to give the opportunity to young Prabhsimran Singh. The right-hander has been in terrific form in the domestic circuit of late and is expected to bat at the top.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa is likely to bat at No.3 for the team. The Sri Lankan batter took the league by storm last season as he played a few staggering innings and made team win. At 4, it is expected that English star Liam Livingstone will play. The all-rounder was the MVP of the team last season as he batted and bowled exceptionally well for the side and won them games as well.
Wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma was among the emerging players that hogged the headlines last season. The right-hander played as a floater and made himself a name with his sensational power hitting. He is expected to keep the wickets and bat at No.4 for the team. Shahrukh Khan had a dismal outing last season. He didn’t live up to the expectations but with the kind of dimensions he brings into the team, it is expected that PBKS might slot him at No.6.
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PBKS brought Sam Curran for the whopping amount of INR 18.5 crores will boost the all-rounder department for the team at No.7 along with Rishi Dhawan at No.8. The Himachal Pradesh cricketer has been in fine form in the domestic circuit and is expected to get the nod ahead of Harpreet Singh Brar.
Rahul Chahar was sensational for PBKS last season with the ball. The leg-spinner provided his team with crucial breakthroughs in the middle and put them in a strong position. He’s expected to continue the same this year and is likely to be the lone spinner in the team. The duo of Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep Singh, who has been the mainstay of South Africa and Indian bowling lineup, in T20Is are likely to be the two pacers in the team.
Here’s the Strongest Playing 11 of Punjab Kings for the IPL 2023
Shikhar Dhawan (c)
Prabh Simran Singh
Bhanuka Rajapaksa
Liam Livingstone
Shahrukh Khan
Jitesh Sharma (wk)
Sam Curran
Rishi Dhawan
Kagiso Rabada
Rahul Chahar
Arshdeep Singh
Punjab Kings squad for the IPL 2023
Punjab Kings had a decent auction this time around. They have quite a few all-rounders in the team and they would be hoping to clinch their maiden title this around. They have a good combination of young and veterans in the side and it’s fair to say that if they play to their potential they can win their maiden title this time.
Here’s Punjab Kings’ squad for the IPL 2023
Shikhar Dhawan (captain), Shahrukh Khan, 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, Matthew Short.
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