Punjab Kings didn’t have a good season in last year’s IPL, finishing in eighth position with just 12 points. This season, Punjab Kings has done well in terms of Squad selections and made good investments. Let us walk through the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of Punjab Kings ahead of IPL 2024. We’ll analyze whether Punjab Kings have the caliber to win IPL 2024 on the basis of their squad. Without any further let’s get onto it–
Punjab Kings Squad for IPL 2024
Shikhar Dhawan (c), Matthew Short, Prabhsimran Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Sikandar Raza, Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh, Nathan Ellis, Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Shivam Singh, Harshal Patel, Chris Woakes, Ashutosh Sharma, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Shashank Singh, Tanay Thyagarajann, Prince Choudhary, Rilee Rossouw, Jonny Bairstow.
Coach:- Trevor Bayliss
Punjab Kings Strengths:
Lethal Bowling Attack:
The Addition of 2021 Purple Cap winner, Harshal Patel, has given more strength to the PBKS’s bowling attack. The Bowling unit of Punjab now has gun bowlers like Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada, Harshal Patel, Sam Curren, Chris Woakes and Nathan Ellis. All these bowlers provide an added international experience to Punjab Kings. Punjab can use them in every phase of the game because they can deliver exceptionally well every time.
The Class of Allrounders:
Punjab Kings has invested very precisely in world-class allrounders like Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, and Matthew Short. These are some of the best all-roundersAllrounders currently. Sikandar Raza and Matthew Short were the top scorers of ILT20 and BBL, respectively, which shows that both the all rounders are ready to set the stage on fire in IPL 2024. Not only the Overseas, Punjab Kings have good Indian allrounders like Rishi Dhawan, Harshal Patel and youngstar Shashank Singh, who add versatility to the squad.
Indian Spinners, Spin to Success:
The experienced Rahul Chahar and Harpreet Brar, along with young emerging talent Vidvat Kaverappa and Tanay Thyagarajann, make up the Spin attack for Punjab Kings. The presence of any home spinner is a big win for any team in IPL as Indian spinners are known to the conditions and don’t fill up an overseas spot in the Playing XI.
Backup for Every Player:
PBKS is one of few IPL teams in 2024 who have multiple options in backup to choose from. Punjab Kings can make a great combination by trying different players at different roles and positions. Having backup options in each position rules out the impact of injuries or loss of form, which is a win for PBKS before the IPL 2024.
Sublime Power Hitters:
PBKS has great power hitters in the squad, with the likes of Liam Livingstone, Sikandar Raza, Rilee Rossouw, Jitesh Sharma, Jonny Bairstow, and Harpreet Bhatia. These players are known for their power-hitting ability, and PBKS will benefit in the slog overs where you need to hit every ball for a boundary or a six. Harpreet Bhatia and Jitesh Sharma are both Indian and showed insane ball-hitting ability last year, and PBKS will be hoping for them to continue that this season as well.
Punjab Kings Weaknesses:
Inconsistent Overseas Performances:
Overseas players like Sam Curran, Johnny Bairstow, and Liam Livingston have displayed inconsistency during the last season, which can be a big concern to Punjab Kings this season as well. Rilee Rossouw’s SA20 2024 season was one of his worst in any T20 league, which also raises questions about his form. PBKS has invested in a bunch of quality overseas players, but their form can destroy Punjab’s dream to lift the trophy.
Lack of Indian Middle-Order Batsman:
There is a requirement for an experienced Indian Middle order to raise problems for Punjab Kings in IPL 2024. The only experienced Indian Batter is Captain Shikhar Dhawan, who is an opener. Atharva Taide showed resilience at the number 3 position last season and can be trusted, but he is not experienced enough to hold the team together in each match. Jitesh Sharma’s role as a pinch hitter might not provide the stability needed in the middle overs.
Punjab Kings Opportunities:
Emerging Talent:
PBKS was a team with the best-emerging talent in IPL 2023, with players like Prabhsimran Singh, Jitesh Sharma, and Atharva Taide scoring a good amount of runs. Punjab has young talent this season as well in players like Ashutosh Sharma, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, and young spinner Tanay Thyagarajann, who can shine on a bigger stage. This season is an opportunity for the youngsters to make a mark and head towards a brilliant career.
Grab The Title:
This is arguably the best squad Punjab Kings have had in the last few seasons with backup options, young promising talent, lethal fast bowling, experienced Indian spinners and world-class allrounders. PBKS have the golden opportunity to be a part of title winner glory. IPL 2024 could be one of the best seasons for the Punjab Kings if their players can stick to plans.
Punjab Kings Threats:
Over Reliance on Allrounders:
While Punjab Kings have a group of brilliant all rounders in the team, they are also looking to take most of the advantage from all rounders, which makes them over-reliable on allrounders. This much reliance on all rounders can backfire them as players might feel overburdened due to the faith of the team in them.
New Home Ground Challenge:
Grounds may not be a big threat for some of the readers, but ground and pitches play an important role in the match results. You can take an example of Lucknow Supergiants home ground in last year’s IPL. The Pitch at Lucknow was a low-keeping and low-scoring pitch, which forced Lucknow SuperGiants to make changes in the strategy. Punjab Kings will have a new home ground this season, which can affect their strategy.
PBKS Best Playing 11 IPL 2024
After PBKS SWOT Analysis 2024 let’s take a look at the probable PBKS Best Playing 11 IPL 2024. We’ll try to make Punjab Kings Strongest Playing 11 for IPL 2024 according to the squad and team composition. We have tried our best to make the PBKS Best Playing 11 for IPL 2024.
PBKS Best Playing 11 IPL 2024: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Prabhsimran Singh, Atharva Taide, Liam Livingstone/ Matt Short, Sikandar Raza, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sam Curran, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh, Rahul Chahar.
This could be the best playing 11 for PBKS for IPL 2024. I would keep Matt Short in my team as he can open the inning, bowl spin, and is a batting power house. Sikandar Raza has done well in ILT20 but it’ll be interesting to see how he performs in IPL this year. PBKS are looking very shorted in terms of Best Playing 11 IPL 2024.
Closing Note:
To wrap PBKS SWOT Analysis 2024 in short, If the weaknesses, especially the form concerns and the lack of an Indian middle-order batsman, are addressed and the key players perform consistently, Punjab Kings have the potential to reach the playoffs and have a successful season in 2024.