Is Punjab Kings becoming the worst team of the IPL 2021?
The wait is almost over. Seven days remain until the start of the Indian Premier League 2021 Phase Two. After the intervention of COVID-19 in May 2021, the Board for Cricket Control in India (BCCI) decided to bring the Indian Premier League 2021 campaign to a halt and continue once the World Test Championship 2021 Finals and India vs England Bilateral series are over. IS Punjab Kings becoming the worst team of the IPL 2021?
The dates are set. The trumpets are blown. On 19th September, two arch-rivals in the history of Indian Premier League 2021 are set to start Phase Two. Ahead of Phase Two, there are multiple glaring questions that remain. A few of them are, will Chennai Super Kings finally break the United Arab Emirates Curse, will Mumbai Indians soon get back on to the track, and IS Punjab Kings becoming the worst team of the IPL 2021?
Is Punjab Kings becoming the worst team of the IPL 2021?
At phase one of the Indian Premier League 2021, Punjab Kings are in the sixth position on the points table and their standings never tell the real story or paint a real picture of the campaign. They have six points from seven games and it translates to three wins from eight games. The losses have been of the worst margin whereas the wins are too close.
Punjab Kings released multiple star players ahead of the Indian Premier League 2021 campaign. The list included the likes of Glenn Maxwell as well. The team splashed the cash on Riley Meredith, Moises Henriques, and lesser-known Shahrukh Khan. This not only allowed other teams to strengthen their middle order and bowling department but also put Punjab Kings in jeopardy.
In the eight games that they have played in Indian Premier League 2021, they started off with a win against Rajasthan Royals. The team somehow stopped Rajasthan Royals from chasing the 220+ target. From the second game onwards, the team’s flags started to appear. In the second game, Chennai Super Kings took them to the cleaners whereas, in the third game against Delhi Capitals, they were unable to defend 190+ runs. Sunrisers Hyderabad won emphatically against Punjab which is the only win of SRH.
PBKS returned to winning ways with wins against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians. However, the team was back on to their poor form with them facing a loss against Delhi Capitals. The team lost by seven wickets in their last game before the tournament came to a halt.
The problem is all over for Punjab Kings. The bowling has not clicked for the team in the games despite the batsmen scoring huge runs. On the other hand, the batsmen have failed to keep the scoreboard ticking and if K L Rahul fails, the team crumbles. The team was hugely reliant on KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, and Chris Gayle on the batting front. The poor form of Nicholas Pooran affected the team. He has failed to score the runs in the first four games.
Ahead of the second phase, Punjab Kings will miss the services of Riley Meredith and David Malan who are replaced by Nathan Ellis and Aiden Markram respectively. The unproven players have to offer a lot if Punjab Kings have to avoid becoming the worst team of IPL 2021.
Final Squad of Punjab Kings ahead of the IPL 2021 Phase Two:
KL Rahul (c/wk), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Mandeep Singh, Prabsimran Singh, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Murugan Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Harpreet Brar, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Porel, Darshan Nalkande, Chris Jordan, Aiden Markram, Shahrukh Khan, Moises Henriques, Jalaj Saxena, Utkarsh Singh, Fabian Allen, Saurabh Kuma, Adil Rashid, Aiden Markram, Nathan Ellis.
Are Punjab Kings becoming the worst team of the IPL 2021? Have your say below in the comment section.
