PBKS target players IPL 2022 : The biggest cricket league in the world, the IPL, will undergo a massive restoration ahead of the next season. The existing eight franchises will enjoy the company of two new additional teams. Apart from the addition of two new teams, mega auction has also been introduced. Before the IPL 2022 auction, the teams were given the deadline of November 30 to submit their list of retentions. All the existing eight franchises of the Indian Premier League have announced their final lists of retained players ahead of the upcoming IPL 2022 mega auctions. The upcoming IPL 2022 Mega Auction is going to be very important for all the ten teams. All the franchises will try to construct their squads almost from the scratch. The team management will adopt different strategies before going into the auction. In this article we will talk about Punjab Kings and its approach towards the mega auction. IPL 2022 Mega Auction: PBKS five target players.
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Punjab Kings (PBKS) had yet another poor year in the Indian Premier League during the 2021 season. They once again did not even manage to qualify and finished a disappointing number six in the points table, winning six and losing eight of their 14 matches. PBKS retained the least number of players ahead of the mega auction. They only retained opener Mayank Agarwal (Rs 12 crore) and left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh (Rs 4 crore). The franchise was keen on retaining captain KL Rahul, but the batsman had already announced he preferred to be released. Since Punjab Kings retained only two players, they have a massive Rs. 72 core remaining purse. They can now go for some star players for their team and start afresh.
IPL 2022 PBKS target players
In this article we look at five players PBKS could target at the auction in January.
Trent Boult
Punjab Kings have had great options in pace bowling in the IPL 2021 squad, from Moises Henriques to Mohammed Shami and Chris Jordan to Jhye Richardson. However, the franchise decided to release all of them, keeping only young Arshdeep. At the mega auction, PBKS must thus target one match-winning bowler. New Zealand’s seasoned left-arm pacer Trent Boult, who has been released by Mumbai Indians (MI), can be a good choice. They have a lot of money left in the bank and can surely go for him. The Kiwi formed a brilliant partnership with Jasprit Bumrah for Mumbai Indians. Boult is a proven performer in the T20 league and had a decent IPL 2021, claiming 13 wickets in 14 games. He can be a valuable asset to PBKS’ bowling. Boult is the top candidate in the list of PBKS target players 2022.
David Warner
Despite impressive contributions with the bat from KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, Punjab Kings failed to cross the finish line on most occasions. The lack of runs from the middle-order cost them the match on numerous occasions. Now that KL Rahul decided to not play for PBKS going ahead and David Warner also wanting to for auction, the latter could be a replacement for Rahul. Warner can play both the roles of skipper and opener for the Kings in the next season. He has a great record as a captain for SRH in IPL. Warner is the highest overseas run-getter in the history of the Indian Premier League and holds the record of taking the least number of innings to reach the illustrious mark of 5000 runs in the tournament. Hence, the franchise might target the former Australia skipper in IPL 2022 mega auction. He could be a big purchase for the Kings in the upcoming mega auction.
Eoin Morgan
As mentioned above, the Punjab Kings will be on the lookout for a leader and Eoin Morgan is one the best in the business. One of the best examples of his captaincy is his stint in the IPL 2021 season with Kolkata Knight Riders, where he turned the fortune of the franchise in the second leg. The team ended up on 4th position in league stage but qualified and managed to be the runner ups of the season. Also with the English side, Morgan is a leader who brings out the best in his side. One might argue that his form with the bat has been poor, but he has the experience which is invaluable. He has a strike rate of 122.6 and 5 half centuries on his name. Once in form he can be one of the most explosive batsmen. His captaincy ability keeps him in the list of PBKS target players 2022.
Mohammad Nabi
Now that Punjab Kings have released young leggie Ravi Bishnoi, they could go for an experienced hand like Mohammad Nabi. The off-spinner has been a highly versatile cricketer for Afghanistan for a number of years. Released by Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mohammad Nabi will be available for other franchises. Sunrisers Hyderabad although could not utilize his services due to the team combination with only four overseas players allowed in a game, not allowing him to fit in. But Nabi is a smart operator in the T20 format. He can also perform the dual role of taking wickets and keeping runs down and is a handy bat. He has a strike rate of 151.26 and a decent economy of 7.13 with the ball. Punjab Kings would surely want to grab an all-rounder for the team and Mohammad Nabi fits right in. The all-rounder is a prospective name in the list of PBKS target players 2022 mega auction.
Jofra Archer
Punjab Kings have been very interested in express quick bowlers and who better than Jofra Archer for the squad. The budding pacer is the perfect weapon in the shortest format. Archer’s pace coupled with his accuracy and the ability to surprise the batsman is rare. The Englishman has the ability to bowl at any stage of the game and turn the tables at will. Archer has been an absolute match-winner, both with the bat and the ball for Rajasthan Royals. Jofra Archer missed both phases of IPL 2021 because of injury but was 2020’s one of the top performer. He picked up 20 wickets in 14 matches at an economy rate of 6.56 and a bowling strike rate of 16.7. His best bowling figures that season were 3/19.
Having retained Arshdeep Singh, Archer will be the best bowler to complement the Indian quick who has numerous variations up his sleeve. Moreover, Archer’s inclusion will solve Punjab’s death over woes, something that has led to the side losing games on numerous occasions.
