IPL 2021: Predicted Playing XI For Punjab Kings

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) were among the most entertaining teams in the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) but fell narrowly short of the playoffs.

Punjab Kings had the maximum salary cap available in IPL 2021 auction with Rs. 53.20 crore. Punjab Kings bought 9 players during the auction out of which they spent Rs. 14 crores to buy Australia youngster Jhye Richardson to strengthen their bowling department.

They bought Riley Meredith at Rs. 8 crores and Moises Henriques for Rs 4.2 crore. In the Indian category, PBKS signed explosive Tamil Nadu batsman Shahrukh Khan for a big sum, followed by Jalaj Saxena, Utkarsh Singh and Saurabh Kumar. Also, they bought Dawid Malan, the Number 1-ranked T20I batsman in the world, at his base price.

Punjab Kings finished sixth in the points table in IPL 2020 and the franchise will aim for better performance in the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League. As Punjab Kings is all set for IPL 2021 with their new members, we will look at the best-predicted XI of Punjab Kings for the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League.

KL Rahul

KL Rahul is Punjab Kings’ skipper and wicket-keeper batsman. In the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League, he was the leading run-scorer in the tournament with 670 runs in 14 innings. He also smashed a century and five half-centuries. Considering his wicket keeping, batting and leading skills he becomes the most important part of the team and one can not deny the fact that he is responsible for giving a perfect start to his team.

Dawid Malan

Punjab Kings bought Dawid Malan for Rs. 1.5 crore. He is currently the number one T20I batsman in the world. He has played a lot of T20 cricket in foreign domestic leagues. In 19 T20Is, he has amassed 855 runs at an average of 53.44 and he strikes at 149.48. A century and 9 half-centuries in only 19 outings show why he is considered a consistent performer in the format. He is going to make a debut in IPL 2021 and it will be the best time to witness his miraculous abilities.

Mayank Agarwal

Mayank Agarwal was the second highest run-getter for Punjab Kings in the last edition. Agarwal scored 424 runs in 11 innings, which consisted of a marvellous century (106) and two half-centuries. At the middle-order position, Agarwal is a brilliant option for Punjab Kings in IPL 2021. In 88 matches thus far, Agarwal has scored 1690 runs at a strike rate of 134.23. 424 runs at 38.54 with a century and a couple of half-centuries in the last edition has been his best performance in a single edition.

Nicholas Pooran

The No. 4 spot was occupied by Nicholas Pooran in the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League, and this should continue this year as well. In the last edition of the IPL, Pooran scored 353 runs from 14 games at an amazing strike rate of 169.71. He ruled the six-hitting charts, smothering 25 sixes in the tournament. He is coming on the back of an amazing season in the Abu Dhabi T10 League, where he ended only seven runs behind the highest tally of 248 runs, finishing the tournament with 241 runs, 2 catches, and a stumping in 9 fixtures.

Shahrukh Khan

Punjab Kings spent a whopping Rs. 5.25 crore to buy Tamil Nadu player in their team. The Indian cricketer became popular with his stint in Tamil Nadu Premier League 2019-20 with his hard-hitting batting style. He will be a great choice for the number 5 position. The 25-year-old aggressive right-hander has shown some serious skills in his short first-class career. His unbeaten 19-ball 40 in Tamil Nadu’s crunch victory in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy was an example of what he is capable of.

Deepak Hooda

Deepak Hooda has played some good cricket in the few matches he played in th 13th edition of the Indian Premier League. The right-handed batsman played 7 matches last season in which he was able to hit a fifty. Known for his big-hitting, Hooda plays the role of a finisher for the team and same can be expected from him in the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League.

Jhye Richardson

Punjab Kings bought Jhye Richardson for Rs.14 crore and the cricketer must prove his worth in the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League. Australian pacer Richardson will make a debut in IPL 2021. Richardson was the leading wicket-taker in Big Bash 2020-21 tournament, taking 29 wickets in 17 matches. Considering his excellent form in Big Bash League 2019-20, he is expected to be a spectacular bowler in IPL 2021.

Murugan Ashwin

Murugan Ashwin has been the most successful spinner for Punjab Kings. In IPL 2020, the leg-spinner grabbed 10 wickets in 9 matches at an economy of 7.46. He will be a good spinner that Punjab Kings will go with in the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League.

Chris Jordan

The Punjab franchise has failed in the Death bowling department and a lot of that was attributable to Jordan’s failure to execute his death bowling plans to perfection. The Barbadian ended with 9 wickets in as many games, although he was unable in contributing as many match-winning performances that the team would have expected from him. Going into the 14th edition of the league, Jordan would certainly have twin targets in his mind: improving his career economy of 9.33, and in the absence of even a single a designated all-rounder, giving the team some support with the bat in the lower-order.

Mohammed Shami

The Mohalii based franchise retained Mohammad Shami for a hefty sum of 4.8 Crores last year. A regular feature in India’s international setup, Shami has been a stellar performer in the Indian Premier League too. He emerged as the best bowler for Punjab Kings last season when he grabbed the most wickets for his team- 20 wickets in 14 games. He is the most experienced pacer which Punjab Kings has and we can expect some good performances from him.

Ravi Bishnoi

Well, for starters, Bishnoi is regarded as the next big thing in Indian cricket thanks to his exploits at the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup 2020 earlier this year where he led his team to the final in New Zealand. Bishnoi finished as the tournament’s highest wicket-taker with 17 scalps at 10.64 in six matches at an economy of 3.48. His ability to outfox batsmen with his guile and googlies made him an instant star. Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punab) booked him for INR 2 Crore. Bishnoi was quick to pounce on the opportunity and made fruitful use of time under the supervision of Indian spin wizard Anil Kumble. He was a part of the team in each of the matches and finished with 12 wickets from 14 games.

Here are our Punjab Kings’ Playing XI For IPL 2021

KL Rahul, Dawid Malan, Mayank Agarwal, Nicholas Pooran, Shahrukh Khan, Deepak Hooda, Jhye Richardson, Murugan Ashwin, Chris Jordan, Mohammed Shami and Ravi Bishnoi.