If Punjab Kings were a chef, chops would have been their trademark recipe.
There has been so much turmoil in the Punjab franchise since the outset of the IPL that the team would dish out their 14th captain in the upcoming 16th season of the IPL.
Even greats of the game like Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Adam Gilchrist and Virender Sehwag have tried and failed to impart any consistency to the franchise.
As Mayank Agarwal joins the company of Ravichandran Ashwin and KL Rahul as captains who have been sacked by Punjab after an unsuccessful season or two, Trevor Bayliss takes over from Anil Kumble as head coach and one can only hope that the Dhawan-Bayliss partnership will bring a new dawn for Punjab Kings.
However, if the 2023 IPL auction is anything to go by, one has every reason to be sceptical.
Punjab Kings entered the IPL 2023 auction as the team with the second-largest purse- a mammoth Rs 32.2 crore at their disposal. They already had 16 players in their squad, including five overseas ones and were in dire need of a quality top-order Indian batter and a world-class all-rounder. While they did achieve the latter, they hardly made judicious use of their funds.
Sam Curran Bought For Rs 18.50 Crore
Quite simply, having let go of Mayank Agarwal and Odean Smith, PBKS needed better versions of these players. Like the other nine franchises, Punjab had three clear all-round options in Ben Stokes, Cameron Green and Sam Curran to pick from in the auction.
In pursuit, Punjab Kings were successful in out-muscling Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants by dint of the sheer cash they had in their kitty. Keeping the tradition going, they splurged Rs 18.5 crore for Curran, making it the highest-ever bid in the history of the IPL auctions.
To put it into context, with the increased franchise purse and the landmark broadcast deal, it's understandable to shell out so much money for a player of Curran's quality, one who recently proved to be the cornerstone of England's T20 World Cup victory.
The last minute injury to Reece Topley and the unavailability of Jofra Archer could have cost England dearly if not for the upgraded version of Curran who delivered at the death, and how, keeping even the fiercest strikers quiet with his guile and accuracy. His batting ability is only a bonus and the Trevor Bayliss-led management had every reason to go after the English all-rounder.
Heist in Broad Daylight
Sikandar Raza is another overseas all-rounder Punjab managed to get hold of. At Rs 50 lakh, the spin bowling all-rounder is a real steal. Raza has not only hit a purple patch with bat in hand in T20 cricket over the last year but it's an iota of mystery attached to his bowling which really makes him a sensible buy.
That said, with Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada and Bhanuka Rajapaksa already on their roster, it will be interesting to see how they are able to squeeze the Zimbabwean into their playing XI, unless there's an unfortunate injury.
Questions Remain Regarding Some Spots
Punjab spent a neat Rs 20 crore in the auction with 15 Indian and seven overseas players now on their roster, taking the total count to 22 out of the maximum 25 players allowed. It's astonishing that they still have Rs 12.2 crore remaining in their kitty but decided not to go for an Indian batter or two.
Shikhar Dhawan, who replaces Mayank Agarwal as Punjab's new captain, and Jonny Bairstow pick themselves at the top of the order. The team does have a lot of firepower in the middle order with Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Shahrukh Khan and Jitesh Sharma in their ranks but are missing a quality number 3, unless they are planning to push Sam Curran up the order, something Chennai Super Kings tried, but with little success.
In terms of top order Indian batters, PBKS only have Prabhsimran Singh with some sort of proven pedigree in domestic cricket. Punjab laid their hands on Harpreet Singh Bhatia for Rs 40 lakhs in the auctions. Bhatia has over 2,000 runs from 77 domestic T20 games at a below par strike rate of 124.54 which leaves a lot to be desired.
Chahar's Accomplice Missing
Another trick which Punjab missed is a support act to Rahul Chahar in the spin department. Harpreet Brar does the job on and off but you certainly need a couple of more options to mix and match as per the match-ups and the variety of surfaces teams are going to play on in IPL 2023.
When Punjab Kings put together their squad last year, the team certainly looked formidable. But despite being packed with power hitters, they were only able to make it as far as the sixth spot on the leaderboard.
Now, with a change in leadership, it will be worthwhile to see if Punjab are able to sustain their gung-ho approach, particularly under the captaincy of Shikhar Dhawan who himself has had concerns over his strike rate and intent in the recent past.
Players bought: Harpreet Singh Bhatia (Rs 40L), Vidhwath Kaverappa (Rs 20L), Sam Curran (Rs 18.5 Cr), Sikandar Raza (Rs 50L), Mohit Rathee (Rs 20L), Shivam Singh (Rs 20L)
Squad: Shikhar Dhawan, Jonny Bairstow, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Prabhsimran Singh, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Shahrukh Khan, Atharva Taide, Raj Bawa, Rishi Dhawan, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Baltej Dhanda, Kagiso Rabada, Nathan Ellis, Harpreet Singh Bhatia, Vidhwath Kaverappa, Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, Mohit Rathee, Shivam Singh
Likely XI: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Prabhsimran Singh, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shahrukh Khan, Sam Curran, Harpreet Brar, Kagiso Rabada/Nathan Ellis, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh
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