Dhawan’s Punjab Kings will be eager to shrug off ‘underachiever’ tag this time around
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is set to undergo a name change, but as for its onfield prospects, it could be a worrying status quo.
Sixteen editions of the IPL have come and gone, with RCB still searching for a maiden title. Heading into the 2024 season, the franchise will have to plug the holes in the squad to end the long wait.
The most glaring deficiency is the lack of a quality wristspinner — a point highlighted by former RCB and South Africa batter A.B. de Villiers. Himanshu Sharma, Karn Sharma and Swapnil Singh are the available slow bowlers — hardly an inspiring list.
On the pace front, RCB signed Alzarri Joseph (₹11.50 crore), Yash Dayal (₹5 crore), Tom Curran (₹1.5 crore) and Lockie Ferguson (₹2 crore) at the auction. West Indian Joseph was chosen over established names Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins — a gamble which may backfire on the battingfriendly M. Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch.
Mohammed Siraj, who played his part in India’s win over England in the recent Test series, will spearhead the attack. Siraj will have added motivation in IPL 2024, as good performances will earn him a spot at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. Local lad and speedster V. Vyshak, who bowled with fire in the domestic circuit, deserves a few caps.
RCB prides itself on possessing a fine batting core in skipper Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell and Virat Kohli, but the support cast lacks depth. Rajat Patidar, a class batter, struggled for runs in the England Tests. At 38, Dinesh Karthik is nearing the end of his playing career, especially so after his poor showing in IPL 2023. The onus thus falls on bighitting Australian Cameron Green. Green, however, has spent the last few months focusing on redball cricket, so he may need some time to adjust to the demands of T20s.
Kohli, the face of the franchise, is likely to don the role of opener. The superstar is more accumulator than belligerent blaster, so in the event of his failure, the pressure falls on an already brittle middleorder. Once again, it will be left to Maxwell to pick up the pieces.
Kohli... RCB’s talisman.
Underperformance has been an exasperating constant for Punjab Kings since its maiden appearance in the final in 2014. A new IPL season beckons and PBKS would be hoping that ‘changes’ would result in breakthrough performances needed to tear away its underachiever tag.
The new vibrant jersey, new home ground, strategic change of coaching staff and expensive buys at auction should bring in positive vibes and enough firepower to turn the tide this season.
Punjab’s highrisk, noholdsbarred attack has brought little rewards for the team in the last two seasons. A more tempered approach will certainly put the side in good stead this time around. Last season, Punjab’s form tailed off after a good start and it had more to do with the inconsistent show from its expensive foreign players.
The side will be seeking more consistency from its overseas stars. Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran, both of whom had moderate success last season, will be under pressure to perform.
The availability of Jonny Bairstow will be a big boost to Punjab’s chances. After a lean Test series against India, Bairstow has a point to prove and will be hungrier for runs. The lionhearted Chris Woakes and the explosive Rilee Rossouw will offer more options for skipper Shikhar Dhawan. Prabhsimran Singh, Atharva Taide and Jitesh Sharma played occasional sparkling knocks last year but Punjab will need more gamechanging contributions from the trio.
PBKS spent a fortune to rope in Harshal Patel who is known for his death bowling prowess. Harshal’s bowling gives more teeth to the attack while his skills with the willow will beef up the lowerorder batting, an area where Punjab was distinctly weak last season. Kagiso Rabada will spearhead the bowling while Arshdeep Singh is a canny bowler at the start and in the home stretch.
Leg spinner Rahul Chahar lends variety to the attack. The plethora of allrounders will give some selection headaches to the team management. Dhawan enjoys great relationships with the players and if they can replicate that trust with performances on the field, Punjab will be a hard team to beat.