Punjab Kings (PBKS), one of the most consistent sides in the Indian Premier League (IPL), have struggled with a trophy cabinet devoid of trophies.
Even before rebranding as the Punjab Kings, the Kings XI Punjab had frequently challenged large teams in the IPL, making it to the playoffs on a handful of times. They also failed to make the final of the 2014 IPL.
The PBKS team management attempted to cover all bases during the auction, which took place on Wednesday at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.
In order to be able to fight for the championship, PBKS would have wanted to bring in several players. They were somewhat successful, but they also made a few mistakes.
This listicle will highlight three shortcomings that the PBKS neglected to address at the IPL 2024 auction:
1. Lack of Indian middle-order batters
Punjab currently lacks a large number of Indian middle-order batsmen. They appeared to be bolstering the section with the addition of Shashank Singh, but it was insufficient.
Apart from a select handful, Shikhar Dhawan, Harpreet Bhatia, and Prabhsimran Singh are the only other Indian hitters in their ranks, and inexperience reigns supreme.
They may have struck the appropriate squad balance if they had spent more in their middle order, which is primarily made up of foreign players.
2. Inexperienced Indian spinners
The limitation of just fielding four overseas players may come back to haunt the Kings, who lack experienced Indian spinners in their ranks.
The only Indian spinners in their squad are Prince Choudhary, Rahul Chahar, and Harpreet Brar.
Sure, they have Tanay Thyagarajan and Atharva Taide among other all-rounders, but the Kings’ lack of experience will damage them.
Chahar and Brar are the only spinners who have played consistently in the IPL and are familiar with the competition. It will be interesting to watch how the Kings fare with such an inexperienced spin-bowling outfit.
3. Just two wicketkeepers in the entire squad
One of the main flaws in the Punjab Kings roster has been the dearth of competent wicketkeepers.
Jitesh Sharma and Jonny Bairstow are the only two wicketkeepers in the team, which can be difficult.
Injuries to either player may put a lot of pressure on the other, especially since Bairstow is a foreigner who will fill one of the four abroad spots.
The Kings could have spent in this sector; selecting an inexperienced, youthful wicketkeeper to play understudy to the two described above would have remedied their concerns.
