Ever since the Indian Premier League (IPL) started there have been a few teams that have played in every season. The Punjab-based franchise is one such team. Punjab started its IPL journey under the name of 'Kings XI Punjab' which was later rechristened as - 'Punjab Kings.' Despite being a regular in the IPL they are yet to make an impact as they along with Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Capitals and the newly added Lucknow Super Giants are the only team who haven't laid their hands on the coveted trophy. On paper, the squad has always looked promising and this season is no different. Punjab will be led by veteran Shikhar Dhawan who might not have had success as a captain but his experience will surely help the Punjab side big time.
Middle Order Woes for Punjab
Punjab’s strength in last season was a power-hitting middle-order quartet of Livingstone, Rajapaksa, and Jitesh. This year it would be tough for them to fill Bairstow's shoes and his absence may turn crucial. PBKS have announced Matthew Short as his replacement. Shikhar Dhawan at the top will bring experience and his IPL record might come in handy for Punjab's side. They also have the services of all-rounders Sam Curran and Liam Livingstone and on a given day the duo can turn the tide in the team's favour. The presence of Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep Singh will only bolster Punjab's bowling.
PBKS to open campaign against KKR
Punjab Kings will begin their campaign against the two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). KKR in the absence of Shreyas Iyer will be led by a new captain which is yet not yet decided. Punjab will be looking to end their trophy drought in the sixteenth edition of the IPL. The absence of Bairstow will hurt the Kings but apart from him they still have some strong overseas and Indian players who can step up on big occasions. Sam Curran will play a crucial role and captain Dhawan will not leave any stone unturned to go big in in IPL 2023, which is set to kick off on March 31. The squad consists of 21 players out of which 15 are Indian and six are overseas.
Captain: Shikhar Dhawan
Coach: Trevor Bayliss
Home Ground: PCA Stadium, Mohali
IPL Trophy: 0
Owner: Mohit Burman, Ness Wadia, Preity Zinta & Karan Paul
Punjab Kings full squad: Sam Curran, Shikhar Dhawan (Captain), Prabhsimran Singh, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Shahrukh Khan, Raj Bawa, Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Arshdeep Singh, Baltej Singh, Nathan Ellis, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Brar, Sikandar Raza, Shivam Singh, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Mohit Rathee, Atharva Taide, Jitesh Sharma, Matthew Short.
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