<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/punjab-kings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Punjab Kings</a> (PBKS) assembled a formidable side at the mega auction 2022 comprising many proven performers of the T20 circuit. Under the leadership of Mayank Agarwal, PBKS had the goods to go all the way in the 15th edition of the tournament. However, inconsistency plagued them as they failed to string back-to-back wins under their belt, and as a result, they could not qualify for the playoffs.&nbsp;

After the disappointing campaign, the Punjab franchise has been quite active in making changes with the next season in sight. They have appointed Trevor Bayliss as their new head coach and one could expect them to make some personnel changes in their squad too as they aim to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Let us look at the players who might not fit into the scheme of things going ahead for them and can be released ahead of the upcoming auction.

Baltej Singh Dhanda has been a consistent performer in the domestic circuit. He has bagged 55 wickets in just 18 First Class matches and when it comes to the shortest format, the right-arm pacer has picked up 39 wickets in 31 games at an economy of 7.34.

Punjab Kings roped in the 31-year-old for the 2022 season and it was a golden chance for him to show his skills at arguably the grandest T20 league in the world. However, PBKS selected Sandeep Sharma and Vaibhav Arora ahead of the Punjab pacer and Baltej failed to break into the Playing XI.

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2021-sandeep-sharma-plucks-a-brilliant-reflex-catch-off-his-own-bowling-to-dismiss-nicholas-pooran/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sandeep Sharma</a> brings a lot of experience to the side while Vaibhav has been a top-form with the ball of late. So, there is a high chance the team management will put their faith in the duo for the next season as well. Thus, the PBKS franchise could question whether they will be needing the services of Baltej going ahead and if not, the Punjab pacer might not be in the team's retention list for IPL 2023.

Ishan Porel has been one of the shining stars in the Bengal cricketing circles and has established himself as an all-format bowler in the domestic arena. Talking about his T20 record, the 24-year-old has played 22 matches and picked up 30 wickets at an economy of 6.71.

Punjab Kings who had drafted Porel into their side for the 2021 season, decided to reinvest in the pacer and bought him at this year’s mega auction. However, the Bengal pacer could not get even a single game and had to warm the bench for the entire season.

Punjab struggled to find an Indian pace option who could partner <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/if-he-has-a-plan-he-commits-to-it-sachin-tendulkar-lauds-promising-arshdeep-singh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arshdeep Singh</a> and Kagiso Rabada with the ball. Despite the third-seamer woes, the management did not give Porel a go. This could indicate that Mayank Agarwal &amp; co. are not yet convinced with the skill sets that the youngster brings to the table. Hence, one can see PBKS releasing the Hooghly-born ahead of the upcoming mini-auction.

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/welcome-to-the-millionaire-club-twitter-pours-in-wishes-as-shahrukh-khan-bags-inr-9-crores-deal-with-punjab-kings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shahrukh Khan</a> is renowned for his ferocious hitting skills and has set the Indian domestic circuit ablaze with his breathtaking knocks. The 27-year-old showed his batting prowess in the 14th edition of the IPL as he smashed 153 runs in 11 games for Punjab Kings at a strike rate of 134.51.

PBKS went hammer and tongs for the ace finisher at the mega auction 2022 and eventually grabbed him for a staggering sum of INR nine crore. However, Shahrukh could not do justice to the price tag and had a miserable campaign where he scored just 117 runs in eight matches at a poor strike rate of 108.33.&nbsp;

While the Tamil Nadu batter struggled to find his groove, Jitesh Sharma just killed it in his debut season. The wicketkeeper batter scored 234 runs in ten innings at a sensational strike rate of 163.64. With Jitesh nailing the finisher role, Punjab could let go of Shahrukh and free up a substantial amount which could be used to fill up holes in the squad.

Benny Howell has been a prominent figure in the T20 arena. He has played 178 matches and bagged 183 wickets. On the batting front, the 34-year-old has accumulated 2341 runs at a strike rate of 131.81. He is touted as a death overs specialist and is more than handy with the bat.

Punjab signed the veteran all-rounder for the 15th edition of the IPL to add depth to the side. It was an opportunity for a lifetime for Howell to feature in the marquee T20 league but unfortunately, he did not get a chance to make a mark.

The France-born was mainly contesting for a pacer slot as their team composition required three overseas players in the batting line-up. But with top-quality bowlers like <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/i-view-it-as-the-pinnacle-of-cricket-kagiso-rabada-recalls-his-test-call-up-says-he-remembers-it-vividly/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kagiso Rabada</a> and Nathan Ellis in the mix, Howell was not in the reckoning for the pacer’s role.

Howell has not been able to fit into the team’s plans as the PBKS would have thought. The team management could ponder over parting ways with him and free up an overseas slot.

Punjab Kings picked <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/he-is-backing-me-a-100-percent-odean-smith-heaps-praises-on-pbks-skipper-mayank-agarwal-after-match-winning-performance-against-mi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Odean Smith</a> at the mega auction 2022 for a whooping sum of INR six crore to provide balance to the side. The power-hitting all-rounder had a stellar campaign in the Caribbean Premier League 2021 which saw him take 18 wickets and hit 126 runs at a strike rate of 132.63.&nbsp;

The Punjab franchise hoped that the 25-year-old could replicate his CPL performance in the Indian Premier League. But the investment could not bear the expected fruit as he struggled to be consistent with both bat and ball.

In the six games Smith played, he could only manage 51 runs at a strike rate of 115.91. When it comes to bowling, though the Jamaica-born took six wickets in those outings, he leaked runs at an alarming rate of 11.87. Following his mediocre outings, Smith was dropped from the side.&nbsp;

With all-rounders like Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, and Sam Curran expected to feature in the forthcoming auction, Punjab could move past the Caribbean all-rounder and release him in the near future.

Baljet Singh Dhanda - Benny Howell - Ishan Porel

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/punjab-kings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Punjab Kings</a> (PBKS) assembled a formidable side at the mega auction 2022 comprising many proven performers of the T20 circuit. Under the leadership of Mayank Agarwal, PBKS had the goods to go all the way in the 15th edition of the tournament. However, inconsistency plagued them as they failed to string back-to-back wins under their belt, and as a result, they could not qualify for the playoffs.&nbsp;
After the disappointing campaign, the Punjab franchise has been quite active in making changes with the next season in sight. They have appointed Trevor Bayliss as their new head coach and one could expect them to make some personnel changes in their squad too as they aim to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Let us look at the players who might not fit into the scheme of things going ahead for them and can be released ahead of the upcoming auction.
<h3>5. Baltej Singh Dhanda</h3>
<amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1667308105398_Baltej-Singh-Dhanda.jpeg" width="640" height="400" alt layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
Baltej Singh Dhanda has been a consistent performer in the domestic circuit. He has bagged 55 wickets in just 18 First Class matches and when it comes to the shortest format, the right-arm pacer has picked up 39 wickets in 31 games at an economy of 7.34.
Punjab Kings roped in the 31-year-old for the 2022 season and it was a golden chance for him to show his skills at arguably the grandest T20 league in the world. However, PBKS selected Sandeep Sharma and Vaibhav Arora ahead of the Punjab pacer and Baltej failed to break into the Playing XI.
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2021-sandeep-sharma-plucks-a-brilliant-reflex-catch-off-his-own-bowling-to-dismiss-nicholas-pooran/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sandeep Sharma</a> brings a lot of experience to the side while Vaibhav has been a top-form with the ball of late. So, there is a high chance the team management will put their faith in the duo for the next season as well. Thus, the PBKS franchise could question whether they will be needing the services of Baltej going ahead and if not, the Punjab pacer might not be in the team's retention list for IPL 2023.

<h3>4. Ishan Porel</h3>
<amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1667308033851_Ishan-Porel.jpeg" width="640" height="400" alt layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
Ishan Porel has been one of the shining stars in the Bengal cricketing circles and has established himself as an all-format bowler in the domestic arena. Talking about his T20 record, the 24-year-old has played 22 matches and picked up 30 wickets at an economy of 6.71.
Punjab Kings who had drafted Porel into their side for the 2021 season, decided to reinvest in the pacer and bought him at this year’s mega auction. However, the Bengal pacer could not get even a single game and had to warm the bench for the entire season.
Punjab struggled to find an Indian pace option who could partner <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/if-he-has-a-plan-he-commits-to-it-sachin-tendulkar-lauds-promising-arshdeep-singh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arshdeep Singh</a> and Kagiso Rabada with the ball. Despite the third-seamer woes, the management did not give Porel a go. This could indicate that Mayank Agarwal &amp; co. are not yet convinced with the skill sets that the youngster brings to the table. Hence, one can see PBKS releasing the Hooghly-born ahead of the upcoming mini-auction.

<h3>3. Shahrukh Khan</h3>
<amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/featureimage/2022/03/Shahrukh-Khan.jpg" width="640" height="400" alt layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/welcome-to-the-millionaire-club-twitter-pours-in-wishes-as-shahrukh-khan-bags-inr-9-crores-deal-with-punjab-kings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shahrukh Khan</a> is renowned for his ferocious hitting skills and has set the Indian domestic circuit ablaze with his breathtaking knocks. The 27-year-old showed his batting prowess in the 14th edition of the IPL as he smashed 153 runs in 11 games for Punjab Kings at a strike rate of 134.51.
PBKS went hammer and tongs for the ace finisher at the mega auction 2022 and eventually grabbed him for a staggering sum of INR nine crore. However, Shahrukh could not do justice to the price tag and had a miserable campaign where he scored just 117 runs in eight matches at a poor strike rate of 108.33.&nbsp;
While the Tamil Nadu batter struggled to find his groove, Jitesh Sharma just killed it in his debut season. The wicketkeeper batter scored 234 runs in ten innings at a sensational strike rate of 163.64. With Jitesh nailing the finisher role, Punjab could let go of Shahrukh and free up a substantial amount which could be used to fill up holes in the squad.

<h3>2. Benny Howell</h3>
<amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1667307960689_Benny-Howell.jpeg" width="640" height="400" alt layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
Benny Howell has been a prominent figure in the T20 arena. He has played 178 matches and bagged 183 wickets. On the batting front, the 34-year-old has accumulated 2341 runs at a strike rate of 131.81. He is touted as a death overs specialist and is more than handy with the bat.
Punjab signed the veteran all-rounder for the 15th edition of the IPL to add depth to the side. It was an opportunity for a lifetime for Howell to feature in the marquee T20 league but unfortunately, he did not get a chance to make a mark.
The France-born was mainly contesting for a pacer slot as their team composition required three overseas players in the batting line-up. But with top-quality bowlers like <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/i-view-it-as-the-pinnacle-of-cricket-kagiso-rabada-recalls-his-test-call-up-says-he-remembers-it-vividly/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kagiso Rabada</a> and Nathan Ellis in the mix, Howell was not in the reckoning for the pacer’s role.
Howell has not been able to fit into the team’s plans as the PBKS would have thought. The team management could ponder over parting ways with him and free up an overseas slot.

<h3>1. Odean Smith</h3>
<amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2022/04/Odean-Smith.jpg" width="640" height="400" alt layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
Punjab Kings picked <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/he-is-backing-me-a-100-percent-odean-smith-heaps-praises-on-pbks-skipper-mayank-agarwal-after-match-winning-performance-against-mi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Odean Smith</a> at the mega auction 2022 for a whooping sum of INR six crore to provide balance to the side. The power-hitting all-rounder had a stellar campaign in the Caribbean Premier League 2021 which saw him take 18 wickets and hit 126 runs at a strike rate of 132.63.&nbsp;
The Punjab franchise hoped that the 25-year-old could replicate his CPL performance in the Indian Premier League. But the investment could not bear the expected fruit as he struggled to be consistent with both bat and ball.
In the six games Smith played, he could only manage 51 runs at a strike rate of 115.91. When it comes to bowling, though the Jamaica-born took six wickets in those outings, he leaked runs at an alarming rate of 11.87. Following his mediocre outings, Smith was dropped from the side.&nbsp;
With all-rounders like Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, and Sam Curran expected to feature in the forthcoming auction, Punjab could move past the Caribbean all-rounder and release him in the near future.

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/punjab-kings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Punjab Kings</a> (PBKS) assembled a formidable side at the mega auction 2022 comprising many proven performers of the T20 circuit. Under the leadership of Mayank Agarwal, PBKS had the goods to go all the way in the 15th edition of the tournament. However, inconsistency plagued them as they failed to string back-to-back wins under their belt, and as a result, they could not qualify for the playoffs.&nbsp;
After the disappointing campaign, the Punjab franchise has been quite active in making changes with the next season in sight. They have appointed Trevor Bayliss as their new head coach and one could expect them to make some personnel changes in their squad too as they aim to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Let us look at the players who might not fit into the scheme of things going ahead for them and can be released ahead of the upcoming auction.
<h3>5. Baltej Singh Dhanda</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1667308105398_Baltej-Singh-Dhanda.jpeg" width="640" height="400" alt="">
Baltej Singh Dhanda has been a consistent performer in the domestic circuit. He has bagged 55 wickets in just 18 First Class matches and when it comes to the shortest format, the right-arm pacer has picked up 39 wickets in 31 games at an economy of 7.34.
Punjab Kings roped in the 31-year-old for the 2022 season and it was a golden chance for him to show his skills at arguably the grandest T20 league in the world. However, PBKS selected Sandeep Sharma and Vaibhav Arora ahead of the Punjab pacer and Baltej failed to break into the Playing XI.
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2021-sandeep-sharma-plucks-a-brilliant-reflex-catch-off-his-own-bowling-to-dismiss-nicholas-pooran/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sandeep Sharma</a> brings a lot of experience to the side while Vaibhav has been a top-form with the ball of late. So, there is a high chance the team management will put their faith in the duo for the next season as well. Thus, the PBKS franchise could question whether they will be needing the services of Baltej going ahead and if not, the Punjab pacer might not be in the team's retention list for IPL 2023.

<h3>4. Ishan Porel</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1667308033851_Ishan-Porel.jpeg" width="640" height="400" alt="">
Ishan Porel has been one of the shining stars in the Bengal cricketing circles and has established himself as an all-format bowler in the domestic arena. Talking about his T20 record, the 24-year-old has played 22 matches and picked up 30 wickets at an economy of 6.71.
Punjab Kings who had drafted Porel into their side for the 2021 season, decided to reinvest in the pacer and bought him at this year’s mega auction. However, the Bengal pacer could not get even a single game and had to warm the bench for the entire season.
Punjab struggled to find an Indian pace option who could partner <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/if-he-has-a-plan-he-commits-to-it-sachin-tendulkar-lauds-promising-arshdeep-singh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arshdeep Singh</a> and Kagiso Rabada with the ball. Despite the third-seamer woes, the management did not give Porel a go. This could indicate that Mayank Agarwal &amp; co. are not yet convinced with the skill sets that the youngster brings to the table. Hence, one can see PBKS releasing the Hooghly-born ahead of the upcoming mini-auction.

<h3>3. Shahrukh Khan</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/featureimage/2022/03/Shahrukh-Khan.jpg" width="640" height="400" alt="">
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/welcome-to-the-millionaire-club-twitter-pours-in-wishes-as-shahrukh-khan-bags-inr-9-crores-deal-with-punjab-kings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shahrukh Khan</a> is renowned for his ferocious hitting skills and has set the Indian domestic circuit ablaze with his breathtaking knocks. The 27-year-old showed his batting prowess in the 14th edition of the IPL as he smashed 153 runs in 11 games for Punjab Kings at a strike rate of 134.51.
PBKS went hammer and tongs for the ace finisher at the mega auction 2022 and eventually grabbed him for a staggering sum of INR nine crore. However, Shahrukh could not do justice to the price tag and had a miserable campaign where he scored just 117 runs in eight matches at a poor strike rate of 108.33.&nbsp;
While the Tamil Nadu batter struggled to find his groove, Jitesh Sharma just killed it in his debut season. The wicketkeeper batter scored 234 runs in ten innings at a sensational strike rate of 163.64. With Jitesh nailing the finisher role, Punjab could let go of Shahrukh and free up a substantial amount which could be used to fill up holes in the squad.

<h3>2. Benny Howell</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1667307960689_Benny-Howell.jpeg" width="640" height="400" alt="">
Benny Howell has been a prominent figure in the T20 arena. He has played 178 matches and bagged 183 wickets. On the batting front, the 34-year-old has accumulated 2341 runs at a strike rate of 131.81. He is touted as a death overs specialist and is more than handy with the bat.
Punjab signed the veteran all-rounder for the 15th edition of the IPL to add depth to the side. It was an opportunity for a lifetime for Howell to feature in the marquee T20 league but unfortunately, he did not get a chance to make a mark.
The France-born was mainly contesting for a pacer slot as their team composition required three overseas players in the batting line-up. But with top-quality bowlers like <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/i-view-it-as-the-pinnacle-of-cricket-kagiso-rabada-recalls-his-test-call-up-says-he-remembers-it-vividly/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kagiso Rabada</a> and Nathan Ellis in the mix, Howell was not in the reckoning for the pacer’s role.
Howell has not been able to fit into the team’s plans as the PBKS would have thought. The team management could ponder over parting ways with him and free up an overseas slot.

<h3>1. Odean Smith</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2022/04/Odean-Smith.jpg" width="640" height="400" alt="">
Punjab Kings picked <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/he-is-backing-me-a-100-percent-odean-smith-heaps-praises-on-pbks-skipper-mayank-agarwal-after-match-winning-performance-against-mi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Odean Smith</a> at the mega auction 2022 for a whooping sum of INR six crore to provide balance to the side. The power-hitting all-rounder had a stellar campaign in the Caribbean Premier League 2021 which saw him take 18 wickets and hit 126 runs at a strike rate of 132.63.&nbsp;
The Punjab franchise hoped that the 25-year-old could replicate his CPL performance in the Indian Premier League. But the investment could not bear the expected fruit as he struggled to be consistent with both bat and ball.
In the six games Smith played, he could only manage 51 runs at a strike rate of 115.91. When it comes to bowling, though the Jamaica-born took six wickets in those outings, he leaked runs at an alarming rate of 11.87. Following his mediocre outings, Smith was dropped from the side.&nbsp;
With all-rounders like Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, and Sam Curran expected to feature in the forthcoming auction, Punjab could move past the Caribbean all-rounder and release him in the near future.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) assembled a formidable side at the mega auction 2022 comprising many proven performers of the T20 circuit. Under the leadership of Mayank Agarwal, PBKS had the goods to go all the

5 Players Punjab Kings might release ahead of mini-auction

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IPL 2023: 5 Players Punjab Kings might release ahead of mini-auction

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