Bowlers let the team down last year but the likes of Harshal Patel and Chris Woakes have strengthened the attack
Ekanth17-Mar-2024Where Punjab Kings finished last seasonEighth, with six wins. They were tied with KKR on points, but had a lower NRR.Kings squad for IPL 2024Shikhar Dhawan (capt), Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Rilee Rossouw, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Harpreet Bhatia, Ashutosh Sharma, Shashank Singh, Rishi Dhawan, Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, Shivam Singh, Chris Woakes, Harshal Patel, Vishwanath Singh, Tanay Thyagarajan, Kagiso Rabada, Nathan Ellis, Arshdeep Singh, Vidwath Kaverappa, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Prince ChoudharyRelated
Pant's return eclipses all else as Kings vs Capitals launches IPL's 36th venue
Inside the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium, Punjab's new open-air venue in Mullanpur
Injury cloud over several players as Mumbai gear up for Hardik's homecoming
Spotlight on Rahul's batting position as LSG start afresh under Langer
Royals boast big Indian names, but lack of allrounders could prove costly
Player availabilityKings have all their players available for the season. However, if they make the playoffs – and also the final, which is expected to be played on May 26 – they might be without Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran, who could be instead playing for England in a five-match T20I series against Pakistan at home, which begins on May 22.What’s new with Kings this year?Harshal Patel. He brings with him the ability to bowl in the middle overs and at the death. Capable of bowling 24 slower balls, he can vary his lengths depending on the pitch. Harshal strengthens the pace department that also has Kagiso Rabada, and the left-arm duo of Sam Curran and Arshdeep Singh.Rilee Rossouw and Chris Woakes are top-order and new-ball back-ups, respectively. Rossouw can be a dangerous batter across phases. Woakes, though, didn’t feature in the last three editions of the IPL, but has enough experience to make handy contributions with the ball and bat.Harshal Patel’s presence will be a huge boost for Kings in the bowling department•AFP/Getty ImagesThe good: Several all-round optionsKings have multiple bowling allrounders, like Curran, Rishi Dhawan and Sikandar Raza, who are strike bowlers and also lengthen the batting. It allows them to use an Impact Player as a bonus rather than as a necessity.They also have a well-rounded Indian bowling contingent. Arshdeep, Harshal and Rahul Chahar have experience, and offer variety in the attack. Harpreet Brar’s left-arm spin and Vidwath Kaverappa’s pace offer Kings a conditions-based selection call. So they can go into each game with six or seven bowling options.The bad: lack of Indian middle-order battersKings do not have a strong Indian core in the middle order. They let go of M Shahrukh Khan and brought in Shashank Singh, albeit with some confusion at the auction.Jitesh Sharma, who impressed as a finisher last year, will be key, but Kings might still be over-reliant on their experienced batters Dhawan, Bairstow and Livingstone to come good this season. Though Livingstone can clear boundaries at warp speed, he is coming off a poor SA20 campaign, where he scored just 109 runs in nine innings.Kings also have Raza in the squad, but might have a headache fitting him in the XI, with Curran, Livingstone and Bairstow being the first-choice overseas starters, along with Rabada. They will also hope Shikhar Dhawan stays fit and has a good season because their probable XII is thin on captaincy candidates.Schedule insightsKings will start their season on March 23 against Delhi Capitals with the comforts of home, albeit a new one – the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, which will host its first-ever IPL match. Two days later, they play Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bengaluru. That is followed by five-day gaps between both their games against Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans, both on the road.The big question
