IPL 2022: Punjab Kings – SWOT Analysis
Punjab Kings (PBKS) who have never won an IPL trophy retained only two players in Mayank Agarwal and Arshdeep Singh before the mega action 2022. They splashed a staggering INR 11.50 crore for Liam Livingstone as their squad now has 25 players including 18 Indians and 7 overseas. They had a purse remaining of INR 3.45 crore after the conclusion of the event. Here’s a SWOT analysis of PBKS:
Strengths
Like many other teams, PBKS also has a solid batting order till No. 5. They replaced KL Rahul with swashbuckling batter Shikhar Dhawan who is also expected to lead the side. Mayank Agarwal, Dhawan, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, and Shahrukh Khan look like a formidable batting unit. The inclusion of world-class pacer Kagiso Rabada who is a proven player in IPL makes PBKS look more fierce side.
Weaknesses
The spin department looks overly dependent on Rahul Chahar. Harpreet Brar shone in one of the games last season, where he took the scalps of RCB’s big three Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers but the left-arm orthodox spinner has taken just five wickets in 10 IPL appearances so far. PBKS will have to rely more on Chahar for the wickets when it comes to spin bowling.
Opportunities
After making his name as a power-hitter, Shahrukh Khan has the opportunity to make the most of the coming IPL season by justifying his reputation. His heroics in the Syed Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare Trophies also earned him a call-up in the Indian national side. Batting with deadly strikers like Bairstow and Livingstone presents the present chance for the tall Tamil Nadu hitter.
Threats
Replacing a genuine wicket-taker like Mohammed Shami with Kagiso Rabada is where PBKS did proper business at the auction table but their bowling still doesn’t sound that great. They have bought Rishi Dhawan and Odean Smith but including either of them could be a challenge for a team that has struggled to perform in any of the IPL seasons barring the opening and the 2014 seasons. In 2008, they managed to qualify for the semi-finals and in 2014 Maxwell-Miller combo carried the team to the finals before falling short to KKR.
