Punjab decided to carry out major renovations before the auction; Pant could be the best candidate for captaincy – Firstpost

The Punjab Kings, as they almost always do before mega auctions, have largely cleared their positions, cut their losses and opted for an almost complete overhaul of their desire to return to the IPL elite, having last reached the playoffs in 2014. Now at the helm Ricky Ponting, they will feel this is the year they finally put an end to their play-off scandals.

Which players did PBCS keep?

Shashank Singh (unlimited) – Rs 5.5 crore

Prabhsimran Singh (unlimited) – Rs 4 crore

Wallet balance: Rs 110.5 crore

Justification for withholding PBKS

Punjab Kings are the only team not to retain a capped player. ahead of the mega-auction. Prabhsimran and Shashank have proven what they can do in the IPL and while this is a rather weak attempt at maintaining continuity, it does indicate that they expected the pair to fetch a higher price at the auction.

Read |
Shashank on one of the two retained PBKS: “It’s time to prove them right”

Otherwise, the decision to not keep Arshdeep Singh is puzzling considering he is arguably the second best Indian player in T20 cricket (after a certain Jasprit Bumrah). But the lack of retention means the Kings have several RTM cards – all of which, if used wisely, could help them be more frugal and bring players back.

What PBKS may be looking for at auction

Well, the whole team. They have to start practically from scratch, which means that many permutations and combinations are possible. They will, of course, also need a captain.

Also read |
Complete list of retained and released players from all 10 IPL teams.

With just two players in their squad at the moment, they are likely to need some high-quality batters, some experienced bowlers and more than a few match-winners, which, to put it bluntly, doesn’t require rocket science to figure out.

PBKS players can go to auction

This is where things get interesting. Rishabh Pant could be a dream come true for the franchise. For two main reasons. Firstly, he will captain the IPL franchise (which is what he reportedly wants) and secondly, he will reunite with Ponting. Pant, with his off-field value, will also provide a boost to the franchise and could be the first step towards a revival. A skipper like Shreyas Iyer wouldn’t hurt PBKS either.

Rumor has it that Ponting still rates Steve Smith very highly. His T20 numbers have declined in recent years, but he remains an astute captain who, along with Ponting, won the last edition of MLC (Major League Cricket).

Jos Buttler, although having much better T20 stats than Smith, could also fill a similar role of opening the batting and leading the team. And if the Kings don’t have that kind of long-term commitment, Faf du Plessis as an opening weapon and captain could also be an alternative. Du Plessis, for what it’s worth, led the St. Lucia Kings (an affiliate of the Punjab Kings) to their first Caribbean Premier League title in early October.

Glenn Maxwell would also be part of their conversations as he was truly a game changer. Another spin bowling all-rounder they could consider is Rachin Ravindra, who like Maxwell and Smith was part of the Washington Freedom in the MLC. In the meantime, Liam Livingston can be purchased via RTM.

Also read |
IPL 2025 Retention: Top RTM Candidates in Upcoming Mega Auction

They will also have a huge selection of fast bowlers. Kagiso Rabada could be attacked, perhaps even with RTM. Bringing back Arshdeep isn’t the hardest decision in the world, and with Ponting calling the shots, they could look for a couple of Australian players – perhaps choosing between Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Ellis and Spencer Johnson.

Among Indian bowlers, Mohammed Shami could be at the top of their shopping list, along with Mohammed Siraj – both of which are feasible due to Punjab’s financial situation. Yuzvendra Chahal could also be a good buy, especially since they play most of their home matches at Mullanpur, which is a decent sized stadium. An easier option (perhaps) would be to buy out Rahul Chahar.

All in all, the Punjab Kings have a lot of work to do in the auction. The good thing is that they have more money than everyone else (much more, in fact). But how they will use it is a completely different question.