IPL 2021: Best Predicted XI Of Punjab Kings For The First Match

Punjab Kings had the maximum salary cap available in IPL 2021 auction with Rs. 53.20 crore. Punjab Kings bought 9 players during the auction. Punjab Kings spent Rs. 14 crore to buy Australia youngster Jhye Richardson to strengthen their bowling department.

Punjab Kings bought 5 overseas players and 4 Indian players. Riley Meredith at Rs. 8 crore and Indian all-rounder Shahrukh Khan at Rs. 5.25 crore were some other big buys for Punjab Kings. The franchisee also invested Rs. 4.2 crore to buy Moses Henriques in their squad. In IPL 2020, Punjab Kings finished at the 6th spot in the points table and the franchisee will aim for far better performance in IPL 2021. As Punjab Kings is all set for IPL 2021 with their new members, we will look at the best-predicted XI of Punjab Kings for the first match.

IPL 2021: Best Predicted XI Of Punjab Kings For The First Match

Dawid Malan

Punjab Kings bought Dawid Malan for Rs. 1.5 crore. The English batsman has risen to the top in T20Is and is the top-ranked T20I batsman. IPL 2021’s first game will the best time to test his batting skills. Malan will make a debut in IPL 2021 but he has played a lot of T20 cricket in foreign domestic leagues.

Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle will be the other opener who Punjab Kings should go for. With his hard-hitting batting, Gayle has emerged as one of the best batsmen in IPL tournaments. In last season, Gayle scored 288 runs at an average of 41+ in just 7 matches he played. This included 3 fifties, with the highest score of 99. In just 7 matches, the West Indies’ cricketer was able to hit 23 sixes. Punjab Kings suffered a lot in IPL 2020 due to the absence of Chris Gayle at the initial stages and this time they should not repeat the same mistakes.

KL Rahul

KL Rahul is Punjab Kings’ skipper. Last time in IPL 2020, he was the leading run-scorer in the tournament with 670 runs in 14 innings. He also smashed a century and five half-centuries. The right-handed batsman also takes the responsibility of wicket-keeper in the team. So he should be part of the playing 11 and lead the Punjab Kings team in the first game.

Shahrukh Khan

Punjab Kings spent a whopping Rs. 5.25 crore to buy Shahrukh Khan in their team. The Indian cricketer became popular with his stint in Tamil Nadu Premier League 2019-20 with his hard-hitting batting style. He will be a great choice for the number 4 position.

Mayank Agarwal

After KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal was the highest run-getter for Punjab Kings in the last edition. Agarwal scored 424 runs in 11 innings, which consisted of a marvellous century (106) and two half-centuries. At the middle-order position, Agarwal is a superb choice for Punjab Kings in IPL 2021’s first match.

Mandeep Singh

For the lower-middle order position, Mandeep Singh is a good choice for Punjab Kings. He has spent a lot of time in the franchisee and is well aware of the team’s strengths and weaknesses. Among domestic players in the team, Mandeep Singh is the best choice to handle the lower-middle order position in the team.

Deepak Hooda

Deepak Hooda is the only good all-rounder Punjab Kings has. The right-handed batsman played 7 matches last season in which he was able to hit a fifty. He has the ability to bowl which makes him a good option as a secondary bowler.

Murugan Ashwin

Murugan Ashwin is the best full-time spinner in Punjab Kings. In IPL 2020, the leg-spinner grabbed 10 wickets in 9 matches at an economy of 7.46. He will be a good spinner that Punjab Kings should test in the first game.

Mohammed Shami

Mohammad Shami emerged as the best bowler for Punjab Kings last season when he grabbed the most wickets for his team- 20 wickets in 14 games. He is the most experienced pacer which Punjab Kings has and he must be allowed to show his dominance in the first game of IPL 2021.

Jhye Richardson

Punjab Kings bought Jhye Richardson for Rs.14 crore and the cricketer must be allowed to show his skills in the first game. Australian pacer Richardson will make a debut in IPL 2021. Richardson was the leading wicket-taker in Big Bash 2020-21 tournament, taking 29 wickets in 17 matches. Considering his excellent form in Big Bash League 2019-20, he is expected to be a spectacular bowler in IPL 2021.

Riley Meredith

Riley Meredith is another debutant in IPL 2021. Punjab Kings bought the Australia pacer for Rs. 8 crore. In Big Bash League 2019-20, Meredith took 16 wickets in 13 matches. He will provide great assistance to Jhye Richardson. It will be a good idea to introduce two debutant bowlers in the first game, as the opposition batsmen will be unaware of their bowling styles.