Punjab Kings (PBKS) have made a massive change in their coaching setup for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season as they have released Wasim Jaffer, who served as the team's batting consultant in the previous season. Meanwhile, Sanjay Bangar, the newly appointed Cricket Director for PBKS, will now also assume the role of batting consultant.
Punjab Kings' coaching revamp continues
Before parting ways with Wasim Jaffer, right ahead of the previous season of the IPL, PBKS made key adjustments to their coaching staff. Firstly, they revamped their leadership by bringing in Travis Bayliss as the new head coach, replacing Anil Kumble. Last year, they also added Charl Langeveldt and Brad Haddin to their coaching team, with Langeveldt specialising in bowling and Haddin serving as the assistant coach. Both Langeveldt and Haddin will retain their respective roles for the 2024 season. In 2023, PBKS finished a disappointing eighth with only sixth wins and eight losses. Multiple coaching staff and captain changes haven't yielded significant improvement for PBKS, who will be led by Shikhar Dhawan in IPL 2024.
Bairstow boost for PBKS
While PBKS' performance in the IPL hasn't been that great as so far they have only played one final (2014) and as many knockout stage appearance (2008).
However, in another big development, PBKS' star wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow is reportedly confirmed to play the entire IPL season. This news comes in contrast to other English players who have opted out of the tournament, including Ben Stokes, Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson, and Joe Root. Bairstow's presence offers a significant boost to the PBKS batting lineup, especially considering the absence of these other English players.
Adding to the growing list of England players unavailable for the IPL, Harry Brook has also opted out due to personal reasons. This follows his similar absence from the recent India Test series. But Bairstow's availability for the IPL 2024 will certainly boost PBKS' campaign. While his recent Test series against India wasn't his best, scoring only 208 runs in 10 innings, his presence strengthens the PBKS batting, especially considering the absence of other key English players.
Notably, PBKS will start their IPL 2024 campaign with a clash against Delhi Capitals (DC) on March 23 in Mohali.
Punjab Kings' IPL 2024 schedule for first 17 days:
| PBKS | Teams | Dates, Venues |
| PBKS | Delhi Capitals | March 23, Mohali |
| PBKS | Royal Challengers Bangalore | March 25, Bengaluru |
| PBKS | Lucknow Super Giants | March 30, Lucknow |
| PBKS | Gujarat Titans | April 4, Ahmedabad |
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