The Punjab Kings (PBKS) are currently hanging by a thread after losing to the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.
The Shikhar Dhawan-led team leaked too many runs, and despite Liam Livingstone’s brilliant 94-run performance, they fell short of 214 runs target.
The Kings must now overcome the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their last league match on Friday, May 19, while praying for several sets of other results to go their way.
Throughout their IPL 2023 campaign, PBKS has been guilty of erring with some fundamental decisions. Aside from that, they haven’t utilised some of their players to their full potential, which may have positioned them better in terms of making the playoffs on another occasion.
on this note, let’s look at three players who PBKS have underutilized so far in IPL 2023:
3) Nathan Ellis
Nathan Ellis has appeared in nine IPL 2023 matches so far, taking 12 wickets at an economy rate of 8.97, which is certainly acceptable for someone who primarily bowls in the end. However, there have been a few cases where his non-selection has piqued people’s interest.
Despite being named Player of the Match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati, Ellis was dropped in favour of Kagiso Rabada following a wicketless effort against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). Rabada bowled effectively in his second appearance against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Lucknow, despite the fact that the surface demanded Ellis’ variations and slower deliveries.
Ellis was brought back for Rabada following that match but was left out of the rematch against LSG on a batting paradise in Mohali, as well as the match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Chennai. Rabada went for a lot of runs in each of those games, and PBKS finally went back to the Australian.
Ellis has been in every IPL 2023 match since then, despite the fact that the squad seemed to have had to decide between him and Rabada. Given how Ellis began the season, they should have stuck with him and utilised him more effectively.
2) Harpreet Brar
One may claim that he was overused in the encounter against Delhi Capitals (DC) in Dharamsala, but Harpreet Brar has been underutilised by PBKS in IPL 2023.
If Brar bowling only two overs on a slow surface in Lucknow seemed unusual, his horse-for-course selection for the game in Chennai only to be called upon once was stranger. So much so that the ball was flung ahead of Liam Livingstone against a well-set Devon Conway.
Brar was assigned a solitary over against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens, where he picked up a wicket, only to be sheltered against the left-handed combination of Nitish Rana and Venkatesh Iyer.
He is a far better bowler than one who has to be protected, and while he wasn’t held back when he should have been against DC, his deployment (or lack thereof) on several other occasions in IPL 2023 has been baffling.
1) Sikandar Raza
It’s difficult to understand why PBKS hasn’t made Sikandar Raza a sure starter in their playing XI for IPL 2023. He was shockingly left out of the lineup against RCB after orchestrating a tough pursuit in Lucknow on his way to the Player of the Match.
While Livingstone’s return to the playing XI seemed a foregone conclusion, others believe Matthew Short should have made way instead. On another slick surface, the Kings were without Raza, a good spinner who frequently stands tall under duress.
He quickly returned to the XI and smashed the winning runs against CSK off the last delivery, but he was immediately dropped by Short and later Bhanuka Rajapaksa was preferred
It’s difficult to comprehend how the PBKS think-tank didn’t have Raza as a lock-in in a batting order that needed another adept spinner, especially given his form.
Unsurprisingly, this has increased the burden on Jitesh Sharma and Sam Curran to fill in for him. It has come off at times and not at others. However, if PBKS fails to make the IPL 2023 playoffs, they will reflect on how they may have better utilised Raza’s match-winning skills.
