PBKS have a purse of 29.1 crores and have eight slots available, two of them being overseas.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) are among the most entertaining teams on the auction day. They pick the best available players and spend a whopping sum to get the ones in current trends. The likes of Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran serve as an ideal example for it.
PBKS have a purse of 29.1 crores and have eight slots available, two of them being overseas. They have a formidable unit and just need a few players to fill the hole and others to act as the backups for the regular starters. It’s never easy to guess the players they will acquire because PBKS try to get every quality player out there.
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Let’s try guessing the five possible picks of Punjab Kings in the IPL 2024 auction.
Travis Head is a popular property, bound to fetch massive bids in the auction room on December 19. Punjab Kings like to buy such players and will certainly try to purchase Head, even if it disturbs their balance. The positive thing is that PBKS need a dynamic LHB, and Head can bat at No.3.
If required, Head can also open, with Jonny Bairstow moving one down and also give a few overs with the ball. He has proved himself many times this year and will be an asset for any franchise in IPL. Expect PBKS to go hard after him, and it won’t be surprising if they end up getting him as well.
Josh Inglis is another dynamite player who is making waves with his consistent performances this year. Inglis will fit nicely as a backup wicketkeeper batter in PBKS, who have Jonny Bairstow and Jitesh Sharma as the prime contenders for this role. However, Bairstow has had injury concerns lately, and the availability of the English players is always under the scanner.
Hence, it is necessary to have a cover for the Englishmen, and Inglis fits perfectly. He can also hit the ball hard, and the Aussie batter is also flexible and can be used anywhere between opening to No.5. Inglis has also improved significantly as a wicketkeeper and is sound with his technique.
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Punjab Kings showed huge trust in Shahrukh Khan and backed him like anything in the last few years. But Shahrukh couldn’t churn consistent performances, and the Punjab-based franchise has finally released him ahead of the IPL auction 2024. He was supposed to be a long-term investment, but Shahrukh hasn’t lit up the stage as expected.
However, PBKS can again buy him at a lower price and slot him to do the finishing duties. The potential in Shahrukh is massive, and he can again be banked to deliver. There aren’t many quality options to provide the final flourish in the auction, either.
Azmatullah Omarzai impressed one and all with his all-round abilities in the recently concluded World Cup. He is among those rare players who can bat well and also bowl medium pace. It’s hard to find such players and even rare to find those adept in both aspects.
Punjab Kings need a backup for Sam Curran, and Omarzai fits perfectly. Omarzai can swing the new ball and also bowl in the middle overs. He is also a talented batter who can drive the innings at the right tempo.
Kartik Tyagi is another player who will be on the radar of several teams this year. Tyagi is an Indian pacer who can crank it up in the middle and operate effectively in the other two phases as well. PBKS have released a couple of domestic pacers, and if they can get someone like Tyagi, it will be a massive upgrade.
Arshdeep has struggled with his form, and Punjab Kings don’t have many domestic reliable speedsters in the squad. Hence, Kartik Tyagi will fit nicely in this team and strengthen PBKS further. They also have the budget to go deep for Tyagi in the IPL 2024 auction.
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