IPL 2024 Auction: Five players Punjab Kings can target, remaining purse and more

Punjab Kings (PBKS), formerly known as Kings XI Punjab, have had to carry the tag of ‘perennial underachievers’ over the years. A tag that many feel they’ve earned thanks to their disappointing performances season after season. Since reaching the semi-finals of the inaugural edition under Yuvraj Singh’s leadership, PBKS have made the knockouts just one — the final of the 2014 edition where they lost against the Gautam Gambhir-led Kolkata Knight Riders, which happened to be their only appearance in the summit clash. The 2023 season was hardly any different for them as they finished at the eighth spot in the 10-team table, above Delhi Capitals (9th) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (10th). PBKS, therefore, will be desperate to shed that unwanted tag in the 2024 season and for that, getting the right squad in place by making smart buys in Tuesday’s player auction will be of paramount importance. Punjab Kings Auction Strategy: Among the key areas of focus for the Punjab Kings heading into the auction will be an overseas spinner. The squad is stacked with seamers — both frontline options as well as all-rounders. The spin department, meanwhile, has leg-spinner Rahul Chahar and left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar leading the way, with all-rounders Sikandar Raza and Liam Livingstone expected to pitch in in the middle overs. An overseas spinner thus would be their primary focus. Players Punjab Kings might target: Shahrukh Khan [caption id=“attachment_12622112” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Punjab Kings’ Shahrukh Khan plays a shot during his knock of 41 not out off just 23 balls. Sportzpics[/caption] Among the most surprising releases on IPL Retention Day (26 November), Tamil Nadu batter Shahrukh Khan’s departure from the franchise and into the player pool raised eyebrows given his rise as a middle-order batter last season with special focus on his finishing skills. Franchises, however, are known to release players to free up funds for an auction and buy them back at a cheaper price, and Punjab might very well have had this precise thought in mind. Harry Brook Another move that caught many by surprise, Sunrisers Hyderabad decided to release Englishman Harry Brook back into the auction pool in order to free up funds amounting to Rs 13.25 crore at which they had purchased him in the 2023 mini-auction. Brook, who smashed a 55-ball ton against Kolkata Knight Riders as an opener, could be a valuable back-up to Jonny Bairstow should the latter fail to get going during the season. And it’s not just in the top-order where Brook can be slotted in — he’s just as lethal batting at Nos 4 to 6. Wanindu Hasaranga Coming to Punjab’s requirement of a frontline overseas spinner, the first name that is expected to pop up in their minds is Sri Lanka leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who had been released by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) that added Rs 10.75 crore into their auction purse. Hasaranga has been among Sri Lanka’s most consistent performers, especially in the 20-over format, and also had a brilliant run with the ball in the 2022 season, where he collected 26 wickets at an average and economy of 16.54 and 7.54 respectively. His usefulness with the bat lower down the order is also among the reasons why many a franchise will be on the lookout for him in the auction. Adil Rashid With many a franchise likely to enter a bidding war over Hasaranga, PBKS might find it tough to secure the Sri Lanka leg-spinner even if they have nearly 30 crore in their purse — among the highest heading into Tuesday’s auction. In which case, they could also set their sights on England’s Adil Rashid, released by SRH along with Brook who could be described as something of a like-for-like replacement for Hasaranga thanks to his ability to contribute with the bat besides his primary role of bowling leg-spin. Pat Cummins Cummins will enter Tuesday’s auction as one of the most sought-after players who could end up smashing records for the highest price ever. Not only is Cummins among the leading pacers in the world, he has also proven himself as a leader. With Shikhar Dhawan unable to guide Punjab Kings into the knockouts, along with the fact that he is 38 years old, PBKS will certainly be thinking about finding a successor to Dhawan and Cummins might just be a long-term answer for them. Lest we forget, Cummins also holds the record for the fastest half-century in the IPL and can be a handful with the bat lower down the order. Punjab Kings retained players: Shikhar Dhawan, Jitesh Sharma, Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh, Liam Livingstone, Matthew Short, Harpreet Bhatia, Atharva Taide, Rishi Dhawan, Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, Shivam Singh, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada, Nathan Ellis, Rahul Chahar, Gurnoor Brar, Vidwath Kaverappa Punjab Kings released players: Shahrukh Khan, Raj Bawa, Baltej Dhanda, Mohit Rathee, Bhanuka Rajapaksa Punjab Kings remaining slots: 8 (2 overseas). Punjab Kings purse remaining: Rs 29.1 crore.