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Pace Battery, Spin Futility and Chance for Faith Redemption- SWOT Analysis of PBKS for IPL 2024

Punjab Kings are still looking for their maiden IPL title (Source: x.com)Punjab Kings are still looking for their maiden IPL title (Source: x.com)

One of the oldest teams in the history of Indian Premier League, the Punjab Kings are yet to win the championship even once. They tend to start well but lose rhythm midway through the tournament. But what have the management done to cover up the loopholes? How does the team sound on paper for the forthcoming 17th edition of the lucrative competition. Let us take a deep dive. 


PBKS Full Squad for IPL 2024

Batters: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Prabhsimran Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Atharva Taide, Rilee Rossouw, Vishwanath Pratap Singh,  Harpreet Bhatia

All-rounders:  Matthew Short, Sikandar Raza, Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Prince Choudhary, Chris Woakes, Ashutosh Sharma, Harpreet Brar, Shivam Singh, Shashank Singh

Pacers: Arshdeep Singh, Nathan Ellis, Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada, Harshal Patel, Vidwath Kaverappa, 

Spinners:  Rahul Chahar, Tanay Thyagarajann


Strengths of PBKS for IPL 2024

Kagiso Rabada will be leading the pace unit of the Punjab Kings (Source: x.com)Kagiso Rabada will be leading the pace unit of the Punjab Kings (Source: x.com)

Fast bowling mayhem 

The Punjab Kings boast a wide range of fast bowlers who have the skillset to cope up with various phases of a T20 game. The likes of Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep Singh offers the right and left-arm combo and both of them have the ability to offer breakthroughs with the new and old cork. Nathan Ellis is a slog over specialist and has improved his skillset with time. 

The management also added the likes of Harshal Patel and Vidwath Kaverappa- the former uses the angle and slower ones quite well whereas the latter is renowned for his new ball lateral movement and consistent line and length. PBKS also have Sam Curran and Rishi Dhawan who provides enough depth to their seam bowling options, which meets the criteria of players required for PCA or HPCA Stadium, the venues that act as the franchise's home.

A consistent core

One good thing about Punjab Kings is that they have hold on to their core group of players which includes Shikhar Dhawan, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Kagiso Rabada, and Jitesh Sharma. 

Also, they backed most of their overseas players such as Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow despite them failing to meet expected performances in the last edition. Also, the local players such as Jitesh Sharma and Atharva Taide had good outing with the franchise last season and they will be key asset for the franchise this year.


Weakness of PBKS for IPL 2024

Jonny Bairstow and the overseas batters need to more consistent for PBKS to have a chance in IPL 2024 (Source: x.com)Jonny Bairstow and the overseas batters need to more consistent for PBKS to have a chance in IPL 2024 (Source: x.com)

Inconsistent overseas batters

The Punjab Kings have lacked consistent performances from their foreign assets. The fact that Jonny Bairstow gets to bat in the middle order has not yielded desired results for the franchise. Also, the likes of Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran have been flops last season. They are also coming off a dry outing with both bat and ball in the SA20.  Their off-form creates more pressure on the Indian players such as Shikhar Dhawan, Jitesh Sharma, etc.

Lack of spin depth

Rahul Chahar is their primary spinner and if the need arises, Punjab may opt for Harpreet Brar's services. Although they have a few uncapped spinners in their ranks, the side lacks a proper backup for Chahar. When the side travel to spin friendly venues like Chennai, Lucknow and Delhi (if the last year's strip is used), the Kings may find themselves in trouble. 


Opportunity of PBKS for IPL 2024

Chance for redemption  

The franchise have put their faith on captain Shikhar Dhawan and its up to 'Gabbar' to lead the side to their maiden title triumph in 16 years. The Punjab Kings have a habit of starting well and losing momentum midway through the season. The skipper needs to do something special to avoid such slip-ups and steer the side to the playoffs. 

Ahead of a mega-auction next year, it is important for Dhawan and co. to reward the think tank for the faith they have put in this bunch of players.


Threats of PBKS for IPL 2024

Fragile middle-order against spin

IPL is a league where the spinners tend to regulate the middle phase overs. Most teams rely on their top-notch spin combinations to break down the opposition. Hence, it is important to have good players of spin in the middle order. However, its a different case for the Punjab Kings as the likes of Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran and Rilee Rossouw are not great against spinners. This exerts more pressure on Jitesh Sharma and Sikandar Raza and makes the overall unit look futile against quality bowlers.

SWOT Analysis of PBKS for IPL 2024 (Source: OneCricket)SWOT Analysis of PBKS for IPL 2024 (Source: OneCricket)


Predicted XI of PBKS for first match of IPL 2024

Predicted XI of PBKS for their first match in IPL 2024 (Source: OneCricket)Predicted XI of PBKS for their first match in IPL 2024 (Source: OneCricket)


Punjab Kings Squad Evaluation

Batting

Experience- 8/10
Power- 8/10
Depth- 7/10
Finishing- 7.5/10

Rating- 7.6/10

Bowling

Experience- 8/10
Powerplay Potential- 7.5/10
Middle-overs Potential- 6.5/10
Death overs- 8.5/10


Rating- 7.6/10

Overall Rating - 7.6/10 


Prediction for Punjab Kings in the IPL 2024

With the depth and combination of the side, it won't be an easy route for the Kings to reach the playoffs. It is expected that the side may find it difficult to cope in certain venues and may finish between 5-8th in the league table.