IPL 2022 | With added fuel, Punjab Kings gear up to clinch their maiden IPL crown

After revamping their squad from scratch, the Punjab Kings will be eyeing their first-ever Indian Premier League title. The team from Punjab has been one of the most underrated teams for the past few seasons of the tournament as they have produced good performances with both bat and the ball but haven't been able to convert them into wins. As a result, Mayank Agarwal has been given the captaincy reigns, and it'll be interesting to see how he fairs in this new role.

The fifteenth edition of the TATA IPL 2022 will see the Punjab-based franchise step onto the field without their former talisman, KL Rahul. The ex-Punjab player was a cornerstone for the squad. It will be interesting to see how the sides fare after adding Shikhar Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada, Jonny Bairstow, and others in their ranks.

Strongest Playing XI

Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal (c), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Liam Livingstone, Shahrukh Khan, Odean Smith, Raj Bawa/ Harpreet Brar, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Porell/Sandeep Sharma

Flaws 

Lack of Experience in the middle order: The franchise might be looking at one of its biggest concerns this season: investing more than ₹25 crores on a trio of all-rounders who haven't been tested and proven in the Indian conditions. If Shahrukh Khan, Liam Livingstone, and Odean Smith fail to live up to the hype, the franchise will find it hard to compete in the toughest T-20 league in the world.

Inexperienced Skipper: Mayank Agarwal leads his franchise this season with the least amount of experience out of the ten captains competing for the title. Although Mayank has been an essential member of the Punjab Kings' batting order, the additional pressure of captaincy could negatively affect his performance.

X-Factor

Liam Livingstone could be Punjab's biggest x-factor this season; the ambidextrous player is explosive with the bat and can bowl decent spells in the middle overs, which will keep all options available for the franchise. Liam has been in good form as of late, and he will look to repeat the same for his new franchise.

Analysis

The Punjab Kings have assembled a good squad. However, the team lacks a player they can depend on throughout the entire season. While Shikhar Dhawan has been super consistent with the bat for the past few seasons, it will be difficult for the batters to play on the wired out pitches of Maharashtra. On paper, without any bias, it does not seem the team has what it takes to make it into the playoffs.