Barring IPL 2008 and IPL 2014, where they finished third and second respectively, Punjab Kings have not made it to the playoffs. Amongst all teams that have been participating from season one, the Punjab-based outfit has the lowest win percentage. Nevertheless, there have been a few cricketers who have done well for the franchise. In this article, we take a look at the all-time best Punjab Kings XI in IPL History.
Openers: KL Rahul (C&WK) and Chris Gayle
Despite playing for PBKS only since 2018, both KL Rahul and Chris Gayle are one of the top five highest run-getters for the franchise. KL, though, has been in scintillating form for them. Since 2018, he has scored above 500 runs in every completed season for PBKS. He won the Orange Cap in IPL 2020, the same season where he took up the team’s captaincy. Punjab Kings have had 13 captains so far, and considering the on-field displays of these cricketers, although he has a low win percentage, KLR is the best option to lead this all-time best Punjab Kings XI in IPL History.
Though he is massively associated with RCB, Gayle has yet scored over 1300 runs for PBKS. This, he has done while almost being written off by many. The Jamaican cricketer plays at No.3 now, but the opening slot is where he is best at.
Middle-Order: Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, David Miller and Wriddhiman Saha
Shaun Marsh lit up IPL 2008 by winning the Orange Cap. An unknown commodity then, he scored 616 runs that season and surprised many. A season later, in 2011, he yet again scored over 500 runs for PBKS. The opening spot is his preferred position, but having played at No.3 for Australia, he slots in at this position here.
Glen Maxwell lit up the 2014 edition, where he scored 36 sixes in 16 games for PBKS. His form was such that PBKS’ first championship looked very likely. However, he tapered off when the tournament shifted to India. Since then, despite multiple stints at the franchise, Maxi has not shown the same form.
David Miller is Punjab’s third-highest run-getter in IPL. Called ‘Killer Miller’ at that time, Punjab had retained the South African in order to build their squad around him. It did not come off, and he eventually had to be released.
In 62 games, Wriddhiman Saha 1190 runs at a decent strike rate of 130 for Punjab. This is despite him being considered a Test-match specialist. Saha scored a hundred in the final of IPL 2014 where Punjab had a great chance to lift the title.
All-Rounders: Axar Patel and Irfan Pathan
Axar Patel won the Emerging Player of the Season Award in 2014 when he was with Punjab. He picked 17 wickets and scored 62 runs this season. For a youngster, it was a great achievement. As seasons progressed, Axar’s batting contributions increased. He became an expert in dishing out cameos consistently. The Gujarat cricketer is also one of the players around whom PBKS tried to build a squad, but failed.
Irfan Pathan was a consistent feature in the Indian Team around 2008. Hence, signing him was a big move by PBKS. The Baroda all-rounder responded well with his performances. In 42 games, he scored 603 runs apart from picking 47 wickets. Hence, he qualifies to this all-time best Punjab Kings XI in IPL History.
Bowlers: Piyush Chawla, Mohammed Shami and Sandeep Sharma
It will be an all-Indian bowling attack for this XI. He often goes unnoticed, but Piyush Chawla is actually the fourth-highest wicket-taker in IPL history. For PBKS, he stands at the top of the list with 84 scalps in 87 encounters.
Mohammed Shami and Sandeep Sharma will form the core of this pace attack. Sandeep’s peak IPL form was at his home franchise. Usually bowling at the start, he troubled the best of batsmen. In the process, he collected 71 wickets and is the franchise’s second-best wicket-taker right now. Shami is more of a recent signing and yet, he has already made an impact at the franchise. He has led the team’s bowling attack in the last three seasons. For the balance of this XI, too, Shami is a suitable pick.
