IPL 2023: Four First Choice Overseas Players for Punjab Kings For Their Playing XI

Punjab Kings will start their IPL 2023 campaign on April 1 against the Kolkata Knight Riders and will look to start on a high note. The last few seasons haven’t gone their way and they’ll look to change their fortune under their new skipper Shikhar Dhawan who has a good track record as a leader.

The PBKS franchise have done a lot of chopping and changing and would like to settle down as a team now. Mayank Agarwal was their captain in IPL 2022 and they let him go ahead of the IPL 2023 auction.

Punjab Kings’ star batter Jonny Bairstow is yet to fully recover from a freak injury he suffered while playing golf. They have named Australian batter Matthew Short as the replacement for Bairstow.

South African pacer Kagiso Rabada too will remain unavailable for the first few games as he’s part of the South African squad for the ODI series against the Netherlands. Rabada was the spearhead of their bowling lineup in IPL 2022 and the franchise might face some difficulties as a bowling unit in his absence.

Here’s the list of 4 overseas players who might feature in Punjab Kings’ playing XI against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 1.

1. Sam Curran

The Punjab-based franchise is known for spending big on potential match-winners and they did the same in the case of Sam Curran. The English all-rounder was bought for a whopping INR 18.50 crore in the IPL 2023 mini-auction.

Sam Curran was clinical with the ball in the death overs for his national side during the 2022 T20 World Cup. Curran can also swing the new ball and hence will be vital in all match situations. Curran has been terrific with the bat too which has given him a tag of a genuine all-rounder.

2. Liam Livingstone

The mighty big hitter performed exceptionally well during IPL 2022. He has till now scored 549 runs in 23 games with a staggering strike rate of 166.87.

He is one of the rare bowlers who can bowl both leg-spin and off-spin and has bowled a few crucial overs for his national side. The addition of Livingstone will give Punjab Kings an extra bowling option as well.

3. Bhanuka Rajapaksa

The top order of Punjab Kings is a bit topsy-turvy. Bhanuka Rajapaksa is the kind of shot maker they’ll need at the top in order to get the much-needed strength. He got 9 opportunities in IPL 2022 for the Punjab Kings in which he batted with a staggering strike rate of 159.69 and can bat both in the top order and middle order.

4. Sikandar Raza

Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikandar Raza can easily bat in the top 5 and can bowl a few good overs. His form has been sensational both for his national sides and in franchise cricket.

He is the only off-spinner in the Punjab Kings’ squad and has got a mystery action that helps him get regular success with the ball. He scores at a strike rate of 128.86 in T20Is while he has also scalped 38 wickets for Zimbabwe.