IPL 2021: Strength and weakness of each team ahead of UAE leg

3. Punjab Kings

Strength- In-form top three batters 

The PBKS team has so far played 8 games in the IPL 2021 and has only fetched three wins. Despite the regular performances from the top three batters, the franchise has crumbled especially because of its dreadful middle-order batting and overall bowling. Overall while the different UAE conditions will enforce different challenges to skipper KL Rahul and its side, their ultimate strength still seems to be its top-order batting. 

Both the opening duo of KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal have been commendable, as both individually do average above 40 in IPL 2021. Perhaps with the skipper also being one of the highest run-scorers, his current average of 66.20 seems to be a big blessing. And even the Universal Boss whose also currently in a solid batting form has a moderate average of around 25 from his 8 appearances so far. Hence, in a scenario where the PBKS team has to fetch maximum wins from its remaining games, the entire top-order has to largely take the onus of producing match-winning totals. 

Weakness- Absence of economical overseas pacers

During the IPL 2021 auction, the PBKS franchise had made two chunky purchases where the likes of Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith were bagged for whopping amounts. Both of them were picked to strengthen the team’s reasonable pace bowling but unfortunately, their selection has backfired. Especially with regards to Jhye Richardson, the Aussie pacer had an atrocious time where he was leaking runs at an economy of above 10 in IPL 2021. Even Riley Meredith, who had scalped 4 wickets from 5 games, had drained runs at a similar economy of around 10. 

The death-overs specialist Chris Jordan has overall been reasonable as only two wickets have been scalped by him in his three games, but it’s only the duo of Mohammad Shami and Arshdeep Singh who have constantly bowled well along with bagging most wickets. Hence, to finish in the top four, the PBKS squad surely needs a resolution in its overseas pace department.