The fate of every team for the next few years will depend on IPL 2022’s Mega Auction and it is thus of utmost importance for every franchise. The franchises will have to build their squad from ground zero all over again and thus it is crucial that they make the right decisions.
Punjab Kings have had one of the smartest retentions in IPL 2022. As a result, they have the biggest remaining purse (72 crores) among all the 10 IPL franchises and they will definitely use it to their advantage in the upcoming Mega Auction which is set to take place on the 12th and 13th February in Bengaluru.
IPL 2022, PBKS Retained Players
Punjab has retained only two players ahead of IPL 2022, namely Mayank Agarwal (14 crores) and Arshdeep Singh (4 crores). In this article, we shall take a look at the players that they might target in the upcoming mega auction and we shall also give a detailed summary of their team, captain, coach, and tentative schedule ahead of the much anticipated new season.
Punjab Kings Target Players
Punjab Kings made the wise decision of retaining only 2 players after their former captain KL Rahul decided not to stay at the franchise any longer. Not many players of the PBKS squad had been able to impress the netizens and thus it was wise of the management to retain as few players as possible.
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They currently have one Batsman in Mayank Agarwal and one Fast bowler in Arshdeep Singh. They thus need more players in every department.
Let us talk about the batting department first. Mayank Agarwal will definitely be a regular opener for PBKS. They can target former RCB player Devdutt Padikkal who has a base price of 2 crores. He can prove to be a great opening partner for Mayank Agarwal.
Faf du Plessis will be a brilliant top-order batsman that Punjab Kings can target. He was the second-highest run-scorer in IPL 2021 and he can prove to be a brilliant asset for PBKS.
Then comes the middle order. For this, Punjab Kings can bring back Aiden Markram who played brilliantly for them in IPL 2022’s second phase. Ishan Kishan, Ambati Rayudu, and Nitish Rana are some other options that they can try out.
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In the all-rounder department, Punjab Kings can go for Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur who are both wonderful choices for both batting and bowling.
Now comes the bowlers. Punjab Kings already had a brilliant player in Mohammad Shami in this department but they had to let go of him probably for some retention issues. However, they can now try to get him back. Apart from that, Trent Boult, Kagiso Rabada, and Lockie Ferguson are all available on the Roster and it will be fabulous if PBKS can get hold of a few of them.
Among spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and Rahul Chahar can prove to be good options for PBKS.
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Punjab Kings IPL 2022 Schedule (Tentative)
| Match Number | Match Name | Date | Time (in IST) | Venue |
| 1 | Lucknow vs PBKS | 31st March | 7:30 PM | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| 2 | PBKS vs CSK | 5th April | 3:30 PM | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| 3 | SRH vs PBKS | 10th April | 3:30 PM | DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai |
| 4 | PBKS vs RR | 18th April | 7:30 PM | Brabourne Stadium |
| 5 | DC vs PBKS | 21st April | 7:30 PM | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| 6 | KKR vs PBKS | 28th April | 7:30 PM | Brabourne Stadium |
| 7 | MI vs PBKS | 1st May | 7:30 PM | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| 8 | RCB vs PBKS | 7th May | 7:30 PM | Brabourne Stadium |
| 9 | PBKS vs Lucknow | 10th May | 7:30 PM | DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai |
| 10 | PBKS vs MI | 12th May | 7:30 PM | DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai |
| 11 | Ahmedabad vs PBKS | 15th May | 7:30 PM | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| 12 | PBKS vs DC | 18th May | 7:30 PM | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| 13 | PBKS vs RCB | 21st May | 7:30 PM | Brabourne Stadium |
| 14 | PBKS vs SRH | 24th May | 7:30 PM | DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai |
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Punjab Kings Captain IPL 2022
According to the latest reports, PBKS management does not want to hand over the captaincy to Mayank Agarwal. They are not yet sure about the player’s captaincy skills.
A PBKS official said that they shall be looking for other options in the Mega Auction and only after that will they announce their new captain. Shreyas Iyer and David Warner are two captaincy choices that Punjab Kings might consider.
Also Read: IPL 2022: RCB Full Players List, Retention, Squad, Schedule, Captain, And Coach
Punjab Kings Coaching Staff
Indian cricket legend and former Team India captain Anil Kumble is the head coach of Punjab Kings and he shall continue his duties in IPL 2022 as well.
The coaching staff of PBKS includes the following personnel:-
Head Coach – Anil Kumble
General Manager – Avinash Vaidya
Batting Coach – Wasim Jaffer
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Fielding Coach – Jonty Rhodes
Bowling Coach – Damien Wright
Team Analyst – Ashish Tuli
Physio – Andrew Leipus
