IPL 2022: 3 Players who were underutilized by Punjab Kings

The Punjab Kings had a hot and cold season in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL). They entered the mega IPL auction for the season with the biggest purse and formed a decent squad that seemed will at least make it to the playoffs, if not go all the way. They made a fabulous team which was rated very highly by the experts. However, the team led by Mayank Agarwal was not able to convert its potential into performance.

The franchise showed faith in Mayank, but the season was not so pleasing for the Karnataka cricketer. Some players had a decent season whereas it turned out to be a disaster for a few others. PBKS were in a good position in the middle of the season, but somehow they lost their way in the second half.

From the last four seasons, the Mohali-based franchise is finishing at number six in the points table. The franchise will not want to repeat the same mistake in the next season and would be eager to make a solid comeback. Some players deserved better opportunities in the season.

Here are 3 Players whom PBKS underutilised:

1. Bhanuka Rajapaksa

The Sri Lankan batter was very impressive in the games he got to play for Punjab Kings in IPL 2022. Jonny Bairstow was not available for Punjab in the first few games of the season, so they chose Rajapaksa as his substitute. He was sent to bat at number three and he loved that position. He started the season with so much confidence.

The southpaw scored 43 off just 22 balls in PBKS’ first game of the season and 31 off just nine balls in the second. But after Bairstow’s arrival, they dropped Bhanuka from the playing 11. However, after a few games, the management realized that they should bring him back into the playing XI.

The wicket-keeper played nine games for Punjab Kings this season scoring 206 runs, at a strike rate of 159.69. He scored 42 off 32 against CSK, and 40 off 28 against GT, but the 43 runs knock off 22 balls against RCB was his best performance in the tournament. Things could have been different if Bhanuka Rajapaksa had got a few more chances.