IPL 2023: 2 overseas cricketers crucial for Punjab Kings’ success
Punjab Kings have never won an IPL trophy and have experienced a topsy-turvy ride in recent years, finishing in the bottom half of the points table in the last four editions of the tournament. Before the last edition, the franchise had a major reshuffle as they released skipper KL Rahul before the auction.
In IPL 2022, the Punjab-based team finished sixth in the points table with 7 wins from 14 games and could not advance to the knockout stages of the tournament.
During the mini auction ahead of IPL 2023, the franchise bagged a prized overseas player in the form of Sam Curran, who was the player of the tournament in the recently concluded T20 World Cup in Australia.
Sam Curran and Liam Livingstone: The overseas English duo will be critical for Punjab Kings’ success
England all-rounder Sam Curran had a dream T20 World Cup in 2022, where he was adjudged player of the tournament for his impressive all-round performances in England’s victorious campaign.
Curran started his IPL career with the Punjab Kings in 2019 but did not have a memorable season as he took 10 wickets and scored 95 runs in nine outings for the franchise. However, the next couple of seasons turned out to be fruitful for the left-hander with the Chennai Super Kings as he picked up 22 wickets and scored 242 runs at an impressive strike-rate.
Punjab Kings will rely heavily on Curran's bowling in the death overs. The 24-year-old is also a very handy batter lower down the order. Curran has an overall strike-rate of 149 in the IPL and the franchise might be tempted to use him as a floater in the batting order, a role he performed exceptionally with the Chennai Super Kings.
Liam Livingstone is another England all-rounder who will be critical to Punjab Kings’ fortunes in the upcoming edition. After a couple of underwhelming years in the IPL with the Rajasthan Royals, Livingstone found his groove last year with a strong outing for the Punjab Kings. The explosive right-hander scored 437 runs, averaging 36.42 at a strike-rate of 182 last year.
Along with his batting prowess, Livingstone can chip in with some handy spin bowling. It will be important for captain Shikhar Dhawan to use these two efficiently and give them enough freedom to express themselves.