After a season in which they missed the playoff berth by a few points, the newly christened Punjab Kings will look to improve their performance in IPL 2021. Led by the charismatic KL Rahul, Punjab Kings made a few positive signings at the auction and have set up a pretty strong squad for the upcoming campaign.
In 2020, misfiring overseas imports was one of the major reasons for the team’s dismal show. While Glenn Maxwell was not himself, costly recruit Sheldon Cottrell flopped as well. Only Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran had a few good outings.
This will be Anil Kumble’s primary area of improvement in IPL 2021. In this article, we predict the four likely overseas players for the Punjab Kings.
1. Chris Gayle
Chris Gayle was one of the difference-makers for Punjab Kings in IPL 2020. In the first half of the season, Gayle did not feature for the squad. It was only in the final few games that the West Indian came into the XI. Coincidentally, the team also got onto a winning run around the same time.
The Jamaican played at No.3 and showcased a new side to his game. His strategy of employing the ‘percentage cricket’ came off for the squad. Since then, Gayle has been in decent form in other leagues as well. Hence, it is likely that he will continue to be a crucial part of the PBKS XI in 2021.
2. Nicholas Pooran
Nicholas Pooran is currently one of the best T20 batsmen on the planet. Although he does not score big very often, Pooran’s knack for executing impact knocks is unparalleled. For the franchise last season, the West Indian set the scene on fire with his explosive displays.
Punjab Kings will surely include Pooran as one of the core members of the batting unit. He is likely to take up the very important No.4 position in the batting order. If required, being a specialist wicket-keeper, Pooran could do duties behind the stumps too. This way, captain KL Rahul could get freed of a tiring responsibility.
3. Jhye Richardson
Punjab Kings struggled to find overseas pacers to complement Mohammed Shami in IPL 2020. West Indian Sheldon Cottrell was a massive disappointment for them last season. Hence, Punjab Kings released him and went hard to find a proper T20 quick to boost the pace unit. With this objective, the Kings hired rising Australian speedster Jhye Richardson.
Jhye was the highest wicket-taker in the recently concluded Big Bash League. He was exceptional with his performances, and wickets came his way at a superb rate. Hence, there was a bidding war that was triggered when his name came under the hammer. Punjab Kings eventually took him home for INR 14 crores.
4. Chris Jordan
Punjab Kings can experiment with their fourth overseas slot. However, going by the current combination of the squad, it is likely that the management will play Chris Jordan. He was one of the very few foreign players retained by PBKS ahead of the auctions. Hence, he will be a significant part of the plans.
Chris Jordan is an intelligent T20 bowler, who has a wide array of tricks up his sleeve. He is a game-changer at the death and can be useful in the middle-overs too. At No.7 or No.8, the Englishman is a decent bet with the bat. These reasons could allow him to be the team’s fourth foreigner.
