Punjab Kings (PBKS) will hope that IPL 2021 is the edition that gives them their first piece of silverware. However, finding their best playing XI early into the tournament will be crucial for that.

PBKS have a solid squad for IPL 2021, with IPL 2020 Orange Cap winner KL Rahul as their leader. Chris Gayle, Dawid Malan, Chris Jordan, Nicholas Pooran and Jhye Richardson offer excellent overseas depth, while home players like Mayank Agarwal and Mohammed Shami will be key.

With Karun Nair, Krishnappa Gowtham, Sheldon Cottrell and Mujeeb Ur Rahman all moved out of the Punjab Kings squad, a few slots might open up in the PBKS playing XI for Indian Premier League 2021.

Combinations we could see

Jhye Richardson, who was bought for a lucrative INR 14 crore at the 2021 auction, will be a vital cog in the PBKS bowling attack. In 67 T20s, the Australia pace bowler has picked up 82 wickets at 23.43. Punjab will hope the 24-year-old can add bite and disciple to their pace unit in IPL 2021.

Dawid Malan, the No.1 T20I batsman in the world, was also brought in by Punjab in the auction. While the left-hander is likely to play a major role this season, he might not get into the lineup right away, ahead of a proven IPL commodity like Chris Gayle. However, if the West Indian fails to perform in the first few games, PBKS won’t hesitate in bringing in Malan.

Apart from Mohammed Shami, the Punjab Kings bowling unit lacks major IPL experience. With players like Arshdeep Singh, Riley Meredith, Jalaj Saxena, Ravi Bishnoi, Fabian Allen all part of the mix, it will be interesting to see the combination Rahul opts for. If either of Chris Jordan and Jhye Richardson has a smashing season, it’s difficult to see PBKS not making the playoffs.

PBKS squad for IPL 2021

KL Rahul (captain), Mohammed Shami, Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Mandeep Singh, Prabsimran Singh, Nicholas Pooran, Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Murugan Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Porel, Darshan Nalkande, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Jhye Richardson, Shahrukh Khan, Riley Meredith, Moises Henriques, Jalaj Saxena, Utkarsh Singh, Fabian Allen, Saurabh Kumar

Punjab Kings (PBKS) likely first-choice playing XI

KL Rahul (c & wk), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Mandeep Singh, Deepak Hooda, Jhye Richardson, Chris Jordan, Murugan Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami

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