Punjab Kings are one of those franchises who are yet to taste success in the Indian Premier League and here is the PBKS Best Playing XI. They have been part of the IPL since its inception but have not managed to win a trophy. Reaching the final in the IPL 2014 remains their best result in the tournament history.
Punjab Kings were defeated by Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2014 final. Since then, they have not reached the playoffs in any of the seasons. They have only made it to the top four in two out of 16 IPL editions. They have consistently been a mid-to-bottom team and they would be desperate to change that.
The Shikhar Dhawan-led side has some very good players in the current squad such as Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow, Jitesh Sharma, Kagiso Rabada and Sam Curran. Let's take a look at the Punjab Kings full squad and the best-playing XI of PBKS for IPL 2024.
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Punjab Kings (PBKS) Full squad for IPL 2024
Shikhar Dhawan (c), Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada, Prabhsimran Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Jonny Bairstow, Sikandar Raza, Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh, Nathan Ellis, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Shivam Singh, Harshal Patel, Chris Woakes, Ashutosh Sharma, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Shashank Singh, Tanay Thyagarajann, Prince Choudhary, Rilee Rossouw
PBKS Best Playing XI for IPL 2024
Punjab Kings finished eighth on the table last season after winning six and losing eight games. Throughout the season, they struggled to get their combination right and were also hampered by Jonny Bairstow’s injury. In the recent IPL auction, they brought in some good reinforcements such as Harshal Patel, Rilee Rossouw, Chris Woakes and Shashank Singh.
Much like last season, there are several combinations that the Punjab Kings can construct for their side. We give you the one that could be the most effective playing combination.
1. Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan missed three games in the IPL 2023 but had a very good individual season overall. He made 373 runs at an average of 41 while striking at 143, including three half centuries. Dhawan constantly looked to be aggressive at the top. As a captain, he will be hoping for a better campaign and will be a part of PBKS Best Playing XI.
2. Prabhsimran Singh
The 23-year-old batter from Punjab was the second-highest run-getter for PBKS in the last edition. He made 358 runs from 14 innings at an average of 25.57 while striking at over 150, including a century. Prabhsimran is the perfect foil for Dhawan as he can attack from the get-go.
3. Rilee Rossouw
Punjab Kings spent INR 8 crore to acquire the services of Rilee Rossouw. The explosive left-hand batter is a perfect fit in the Punjab set-up, who needed to bolster their middle order. Rossouw played for Delhi Capitals last season, where he made 209 runs in nine innings at 30 average and 148 strike rate.
Punjab's other option is to open with Jonny Bairstow and have Prabhsimran at one down. But considering their struggles were largely in the middle order, this is a better combination.
4. Liam Livingstone
Liam Livingstone has been a key figure in the PBKS side in the last couple of years. He has smashed 716 runs for the franchise from 23 innings, averaging 34 at a strike rate of 174. Livingstone provides the firepower against raw pace and doubles down as a two-way spinner, making him the first name on the sheet.
5. Jitesh Sharma (wk)
Jitesh Sharma has a unique style of hitting, with an ability to take down spin and full-length pace. He has done well for Punjab Kings in the middle order, scoring 543 runs in two editions at an average of 26 and a strike rate of 159 and should make it to PBKS best playing XI for IPL 2024.
6. Sam Curran
Punjab Kings spent INR 18.50 crore in the IPL 2023 auction to secure Sam Curran. But the England all-rounder couldn't justify the price tag, scoring 276 runs at 136 strike rate and picking 10 wickets at an economy of over 10. However, he remains a key part of the side.
7. Shashank Singh
After being unable to re-buy Shahrukh Khan, Punjab Kings found a decent replacement in Shashank Singh. The all-rounder played for Sunrisers Hyderabad last season and showed good promise. He should add good value to the team with the bat and occasionally with the ball.
8. Harshal Patel
Punjab Kings needed an Indian pace-bowling option and they spent INR 11.75 crore to make sure they get Harshal Patel. Playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore, he had an excellent 2021-22, where he claimed 51 wickets in 30 games at 7.91 rpo. Harshal had a poor 2023 season but PBKS will hope he regains that form.
9. Kagiso Rabada
The South African pacer had injury troubles last season and wasn't at his best. He played only six games and picked seven wickets at an economy of over 10. Rabada will be hoping for a better season as he leads the PBKS bowling attack in the IPL 2024.
10. Rahul Chahar
Rahul Chahar is the frontline specialist spinner for Punjab Kings. The leg-break bowler was able to contain the runs last season, conceding at 7.75 runs per over but only managed to pick eight wickets in 14 games. PBKS will need more wickets from the spinner in the middle overs.
11. Arshdeep Singh
Like the most of Punjab Kings' bowling attack, Arshdeep Singh was also expensive in the previous season of the IPL. He picked 17 wickets at an economy of 9.70. The left-arm pacer had lost a bit of rhythm, which he would hope to regain by the start of the IPL 2024.
Atharva Taide (Impact Player)
Punjab Kings could go a couple of ways with their impact player. They can either go with an extra batter in Atharva Taide or an extra bowler in Harpreet Brar. Taide played in seven games last season and made 186 runs at an average of 26 and a strike rate of 144.
