3 PBKS players who are worth way more than their IPL 2023 contracts
The Punjab Kings (PBKS) made headlines for their involvement in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction as they snapped up Sam Curran for a whopping ₹18.5 crore.
PBKS made the Englishman the most expensive purchase in the history of the auction, and it will be a real task for him to live up to his billing. Others like captain Shikhar Dhawan, batter Shahrukh Khan and fast bowler Kagiso Rabada earn significant amounts.
At the same time, Punjab have a bunch of players who are on cut-price deals and offer more to the franchise than their price tags suggest. Here are three PBKS players who are worth way more than their IPL 2023 contracts.
#3 Sikandar Raza
Sikandar Raza was one of the steals of the IPL 2023 auction. The talented all-rounder was snapped up by PBKS at his base price of ₹50 lakh.
Raza had an incredible 2022, and although his form seemed to dwindle slightly in franchise leagues around the world, he recovered towards the end of the ILT20 while playing for the Dubai Capitals. He is a capable batter who can deliver four overs more often than not and has enough tricks under his sleeve to confound the best batters in the world.
Punjab's decision to acquire Raza at his base price was a masterstroke despite the Zimbabwean's advanced age.
#2 Arshdeep Singh
PBKS retained only two players ahead of the IPL 2022 mega-auction - Mayank Agarwal and Arshdeep Singh. Mayank has since been released by the Kings after a disappointing season in which he failed to lead the team to the playoffs and didn't make significant contributions with the bat either.
Arshdeep, however, remains an integral part of PBKS' plans. When he was retained by the franchise, he hadn't turned out for India and fell into the ₹4 crore bracket. The left-armer played 10 games in IPL 2022, returning 10 wickets at an excellent economy rate of 7.7.
Arshdeep is Punjab's designated death bowler and their frontline domestic fast bowler. He will have a massive role to play in IPL 2023, and the Kings will be glad that they have such a talented youngster on their books for just ₹4 crore.
#1 Jitesh Sharma
Jitesh Sharma getting into the national team is a big big good news. Wanted him in squad as early as last year Ire tour when Pant wasn't available.
Jitesh Sharma is perhaps the most underpriced player in the IPL across franchises. The dynamic wicket-keeper was stolen for his base price of ₹20 lakh by Punjab during the IPL 2022 mega-auction.
Although it took a couple of matches for PBKS to incorporate him in the playing XI, Jitesh ended up playing 12 games in his maiden campaign. He notched up 234 runs at an average of 29.25 and a strike rate of 163.64, showing glimpses of his audacious shot-making and unmatched range.
Jitesh, as one of the few finishers going around right now, is also on the verge of becoming a regular member of India's T20I side. PBKS capitalized on an excellent opportunity to sign the player, who is bound to be seen in action quite frequently during the upcoming IPL season.