Much of the matches with the franchise in Mohali were a tight match. Sadly, despite coming closer, Punjab Kings missed a playoff spot last year. The outfit headed by KL Rahul would want to begin in IPL 2021 again.
The Kings of Punjab had the enormous bag on the IPL auction 2021. At the auction, Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith were signed by the bank. It was a little surprising, because both have no experience with IPL, that the Punjab Kings offered the two pacers in Aussie so aggressively. Actually, in Indian circumstances, they didn’t play much cricket.
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Full Squad of Punjab Kings for IPL 2021:
Retained players: KL Rahul (c&wk), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Mandeep Singh, Prabsimran Singh, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Murugan Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Harpreet Brar, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Porel, Darshan Nalkande, Chris Jordan
New Players: Dawid Malan, Jhye Richardson, Shahrukh Khan, Riley Meredith, Moises Henriques, Jalaj Saxena, Utkarsh Singh, Fabian Allen, Saurabh Kumar.
Last Season Performance of Punjab Kings:
KXIP is not a favorite of any kind in IPL 2020, and numerous specialists and ex-cricketers have claimed to be competitors for the wooden spoon. However, the Mohali franchise cannot be excluded under the leadership of a young captain in Rahul.
SWOT Analysis of Punjab Kings for IPL 2021:
Strengths — Top order
The Punjab Kings will open their innings in IPL 2021, with Orange Cap victor KL Rahul. Mayank Agarwal that had his best IPL season last year during the UAE, will have his return. Universe Boss Chris Gayle will support the two openers of Punjab Kings in third place.
Weakness — Inexperienced bowling attack
In IPL, they played regularly, except Mohammed Shami, no other bowler from the Punjab Kings. The Punjab Kings, Murugan Ashwin and Ravi Bishnoi, had an excellent LIP last year, but if IPL 2021 matches happen in the League, it is unlikely that they will go with two leg spinners. Another trustworthy name is Chris Jordan. However, there is no IPL experience for the new hires.
Opportunities — Chance for uncapped players
Ishan Porel will emerge to be Mohammed Shami’s helping bowler, while Arshdeep Singh can duplicate his IPL 2020.
The Left Arm Spinner Harpreet Brar also offers the ability to benefit from the inexperience in the bowling unit. With his left-arm orthodox turn, Harpreet could add a variety to the table. The superstar only has one opportunity in IPL 2020 to perform for the Punjab Kings.
Threats — Injury concerns
In his career, Moises Henriques has had problems with injury regularly. Meanwhile, after an injury was collected, Ishan Porel had to come back from Australia. Jhye Richardson skipped even the 2019 World Cup because of an injury. Thus, the damage is the greatest challenge to the IPL 2021 campaign of the Punjab Kings.
Top Performers from Punjab Kings during IPL 2020:
After an additional 600+ tally, Captain Rahul won the Orange Cap and was consistent in top of the order, despite a not-so-high strike rate. Mayank Agarwal, his opening partner, was also influential and gave the team some startups.
Then there was the fantastic Chris Gayle that brought in some classic strokeplay for the second half of the season and brought the tournament to the fore. He was moved to No 3, but this had no significant effect on him.
As far as bowling is concerned. With 20 wickets in the season, Mohammed Shami led the road. The fast right arm was often costly, but it also gave essential breakthroughs.
One of the finds of the season was the Young Beet Spinner Ravi Bishnoi. When he first played IPL, he confidently bowled and disturbed the highest. With Bishnoi, KXIP certainly has a potential star.
Players to look out in IPL 2021 from Punjab Kings:
Chris Gayle: For quite a while, the Big West Indian is around. But his touch is still to be lost. In most T20 Leagues worldwide, Gayle performs well. He has also recently played again for West Indies and requested a return to the WI team. One player who played over 400 matches and hungry for more is still hungry. He’s undoubtedly a player he’s looking for.
KL Rahul: Although he’s not in many touches with India in the England series, he’s still a crucial Punjab player. In the first three T20Is, Rahul scored 1, 0, and 0 against England. Kings Punjab’s captain is capable of rebounding and running for his side. Therefore it’s included in the KXIP Top Player List.
Predictions for IPL 2021:
Going through the above review, PK has the firepower to bring glory to its first title. Incoherence has been the issue, however, for too much time. Moreover, it is not clear which department is specifically aiming for a definite effect with the squad composition that looks a little confusing.
Probable Playing XIs for the first match:
KL Rahul (C&WK), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Mandeep Singh, Jalaj Saxena, Fabien Allen, Jhye Richardson, Ravi Bishnoi, Murugan Ashwin & Mohammed Shami.
