PBKS Squad IPL 2024: Punjab Kings, previously known as Kings XI Punjab, changed the franchise name ahead of the 2021 IPL, and have reached the finals only once. They made a great start in the first season but failed to maintain consistency and in 2010, the IPL governing council expelled Punjab and Rajasthan Royals because of transgression of shareholding and ownership norms.
The matter went to the courts and both the teams were reinstated but it affected their plans ahead of the 2011 auctions. Punjab could not retain their players and managed to appoint Michael Bevan as coach just four days before the auction. But the turnaround came for Punjab in the 2014 season, with Sanjay Bangar as coach and the right players in the mix that year. Punjab topped the league stage that season and made it to the finals but lost a closely fought battle against Kolkata Knight Riders. They also reached the semifinals of Champions League T20, later that year.
After that breakaway season, Punjab are yet to replicate that success in the later seasons of the Indian Premier League. The effort is always there to put together a best team, but somehow Punjab falters as an IPL season gets underway. In 2022, they appointed Mayank Agarwal as captain but no success, and in 2023 he was replaced by Shikhar Dhawan, who has been retained captain for the 2024 edition as well.
The high-point in Punjab's IPL timeline, has to be the 2014 season, where under George Bailey's captaincy they topped the table with 11 wins in 14 matches. Glenn Maxwell blazed in that edition and was the Player of the Tournament, with David Miller playing his hand in the middle-order. Despite putting up 199 on the board they lost a close final to KKR.
Punjab finished at the bottom of the points table in 2010, 2015 and 2016. The 2015 season was particularly ironic after a great previous year. They lost 11 games and won only three in 2015.
The Mohali-based franchise has assembled a solid T20 side by signing the likes of Rilee Rossouw, Chris Woakes and Harshal Patel in the IPL 2024 players' auction. Shikhar Dhawan's captaincy will also be under the scanners as he has not played much cricket in recent times. The presence of Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Sikandar Raza and Rossouw make them one of the strongest middle-orders among the sides.
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