Punjab Kings’ IPL 2023 season which promised a lot ended with a whimper on Friday with a defeat against Rajasthan Royals (RR). PBKS finished their campaign with 12 points from 14 matches and are currently eighth in the 10-team table.
IPL 2023: Full coverage | Points table | Schedule | Results | Orange Cap | Purple Cap
The last time PBKS reached the playoffs was in 2014 and hold the record for the longest wait between playoffs. With 12 points from 12 matches earlier this season, it looked like Punjab would be able to reach the playoffs but defeat in the last two matches, against Delhi Capitals and RR, scripted the same old story again.
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After investing in Sam Curran (the most expensive player in IPL history at Rs 18.5 crore) and appointing Shikhar Dhawan as captain, PBKS hoped for a change in their fortunes but several factors led to their downfall.
Bairstow’s absence hurt big time
One of the biggest reasons behind PBKS’s plan not working is the absence of Jonny Bairstow. The explosive English batter was expected to lead the team from the front but after a leg injury failed to get the NOC from ECB and his absence left a big hole in Punjab’s batting.
Dhawan made 373 runs and is the highest run-getter for PBKS but on the overall list, he is currently 16th.
Matthew Short and Bhanuka Rajapaksa were not able to replace Baristow adequately and Liam Livingstone missing the first six matches added to the team’s misery.
Bowlers disappoint
Another area where PBKS had a bad time was pace bowling. Arshdeep Singh who is now a regular for India in T20Is, got 17 wickets but at an economy of almost 10. His worst since 2019. Nathan Ellis had an economy of 9 and Sam Curran leaked runs at 10.
Kagiso Rabada played just six matches and had an economy of 10 as well.
Spinner Harpreet Brar and Rahul Chahar were economical but none had a big season.
Positive takeaways
The biggest takeaway for PBKS is the rise of Prabhsimran Singh and Jitesh Sharma.
The 22-year-old Prabhsimran got more than 2 games for the first time in a season and smashed 358 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 150. The opener also clinched his first century of IPL in this season.
Jitesh meanwhile was a sensation as a finisher. Batting at No 5 or lower, Jitesh amassed an impressive 309 runs from 14 matches at a strike rate of 156.
Overall, in Prabhsimran and Jitesh, PBKS have found stars who can serve the franchise well in the coming years. If top players are available from the start of next season, PBKS will be a solid unit.
One another area where they do need fixing is on deciding their batting lineup. Using Sikandar Raza or Shahrukh Khan late in the order when batters in the top weren’t producing good runs wasn’t the smartest call.
Hopefully, next season PBKS will sort out these issues and fans will get to see their team reach the playoffs.
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