PBKS team for IPL 2023: Punjab Kings squad, players as Jonny Bairstow is replaced

Dominic Booth

PBKS team for IPL 2023: Punjab Kings squad, players as Jonny Bairstow is replaced image

Punjab Kings have been robbed of one England star and are hoping their big-money gamble on another pays off ahead of the 2023 Indian Premier League.

Sam Curran became the most expensive player in IPL history when he was drafted by the Kings in a $2.2 million deal (IND 18.5 crore), with his all-round abilities highly valued by the franchise.

Meanwhile, Jonny Bairstow's recovery from a freak injury on the golf course means he will miss the entire 2023 IPL. Following early reports that fellow England opener Jason Roy could replace the Yorkshireman, uncapped Australian Matthew Short will come in for Bairstow.

Regardless, the Kings have a strong squad going into the season. Here's a detailed look at its strengths and weaknesses.

MORE: Latest IPL 2023 betting and odds

PBKS 2023 IPL squad

The Kings have appointed the experienced Shikhar Dhawan as their captain for the 2023 season, replacing the outgoing Mayank Agarwal in the role. He will work with former England head coach Trevor Bayliss.

Here's a detailed look at the roster for 2023.

Player Role Age Auction Price Nation
Shikhar Dhawan (c) Batter 37 IND 8.25 crore ($998,000) India
Shahrukh Khan Batter 27 IND 9 crore ($1.08m) India
Bhanuka Rajapaksa Batter-wicketkeeper 31 IND 50 lakhs ($60,000) Sri Lanka
Jonny Bairstow* Batter-wicketkeeper 33 IND 6.75 crore ($816,000) England
Prabhsimran Singh Batter-wicketkeeper 22 IND 60 lakhs ($73,000) India
Jitesh Sharma Batter-wicketkeeper 29 IND 20 lakhs ($24,000)  India
Raj Angad Bawa All-rounder 20 IND 2 crore ($241,000)  India
Rishi Dhawan Batter 33 IND 55 lakhs ($70,000) India
Liam Livingstone All-rounder 29 IND 11.5 crore ($1.39m)   England
Kagiso Rabada Pace bowler 27 IND 9.25 crore ($1.1m)   South Africa
Arshdeep Singh Pace bowler 24 IND 4 crore ($480,000)  India
Baltej Singh Danda Pace bowler 32 IND 20 lakhs ($24,000)  India
Atharva Taide All-rounder 22 IND 20 lakhs ($24,000) India
Rahul Chahar Spinner 23 IND 5.25 crore ($635,000)   India
Harpreet Brar Spinner 27 IND 3.8 crore ($447,000)   India
Nathan Ellis Pace bowler 28 IND 75 lakhs ($90,000) Australia
Harpreet Singh Bhatia Pace bowler 31 IND 40 lakhs ($48,000) India
Vidwath Kaverappa Pace bowler 24 IND 20 lakhs ($24,000) India
Sam Curran All-rounder 24 IND 18.5 crore ($2.2m) England
Sikandar Raza Batter 36 IND 50 lakhs ($60,000) Zimbabwe
Mohit Rathee Spinner 24 IND 20 lakhs ($24,000) India
Shivam Singh All-rounder 26 IND 20 lakhs ($24,000) India

*Replaced by Matthew Short due to injury

Punjab Kings stars, strengths & weaknesses

The Kings have most bases covered, although much of their budget went on recruiting England all-rounder Sam Curran for a record figure.

"He's a world-class player," said the Punjab Kings team director Ness Wadia on signing Curran.

"He'd play in any world XI, in any of the top teams, he's that good. He's probably one of the best all-rounders in the world, if not the best."

Sam Curran England
Getty Images

Stars

Curran will be expected to shoulder plenty of responsibility with bat and ball. He could even open the batting, while his expert death bowling will be crucial, showcasing his yorkers and slower balls to keep opponents quiet.

Dhawan is a heavy and dependable runscorer in the IPL. The 37-year-old has amassed 6244 runs in the tournament since making his debut in 2008. Only Virat Kohli has more runs.

Elsewhere in the squad, Arshdeep Singh is another canny operator with the ball and should take wickets up front in the powerplay overs, and it will be interesting how Livingstone fares as he makes a comeback from a knee injury.

Strengths

Death bowling really shouldn't be a problem, with Arsheep, Curran and Kagiso Rabada fronting an awesome-looking seam attack.

Bairstow could have formed a formidable opening partnership with Dhawan had he recovered in time, and while his absence is a major blow, Short comes into his first IPL season with an impressive pedigree: he was Player of the Tournament in the recent Big Bash League as he scored 458 runs for Adelaide Strikers, a figure beaten only by Aaron Hardie (460).

Weaknesses

The squad is a little lop-sided. There are some outright stars, but depth could be an issue if they pick up injuries or should the likes of Curran, Dhawan, Arsheep and Livingstone suffer from poor form. There are some rookie homegrown players that haven't been tested too much in the IPL.

The spin options are a little thin aside from leggie Rahul Chahar.


WATCH: 20 Greatest T20 Players Roundtable

20 greatest T20 players
Sporting News

Dominic Booth

Dominic Booth Photo

Dominic joined the Sporting News in November 2022, initially working on our World Cup coverage as a freelance sub editor. He was previously a sport content editor and Man United writer at the Manchester Evening News and is a regular at both Old Traffords, football and cricket.