The captain of the newly christened Punjab Kings franchise, KL Rahul recently talked about the missing elements from the team and what the management will be looking for going into the IPL 2021 Auction.
The IPL 2021 auction will take place in Chennai on February 18 starting from 3.00 PM IST and will see 292 players going under the hammer for a chance to be bought by eight franchises and play in the 14th edition of the most popular T20 league in the world.
KL Rahul’s team has failed to reach the playoffs of the IPL 2020 despite winning five matches on a trot in the second half of the tournament and finished on the sixth spot in the IPL 2020 points table. The franchise has made it into the playoffs twice, once in 2008, and qualified for the finals in 2014.
There Are Certain Slots That We Absolutely Need To Fill: KL Rahul  Â
Speaking on the Star Sports show IPL Auction- Curtain Raiser, PBKS captain KL Rahul spoke about what the team management is planning for the IPL 2021 auction and what are the missing elements that they want to ensure are filled.
KL Rahul pointed out that the team has been missing an experienced finisher in the middle who can end games for them. Apart from a finisher, the PBKS team also requires an out-and-out fast bowler, someone who can intimidate the opposition batsmen with pace and come in handy in the death overs as well.
“I think it has been quite straightforward and obvious in the last three seasons that we have missed somebody in the middle order with experience who can close down games and win us games in the middle. And someone who can bowl fast is always exciting, it’s quite a weapon to have in the team. These are two things that we missed, or we did have in the team but unfortunately, they couldn’t come good,” KL Rahul said on the show.
The Upcoming Auction Is Exciting, But A Little Nerve Wrecking: PBKS Co-Owner Preity Zinta
Punjab Kings co-owner Preity Zinta mentioned that it was the right time for the franchise to rebrand and it is a natural progression for every brand there is. She also talked about the excitement of entering the IPL 2021 auction, given that they have the biggest purse to spend.
“It is a little nerve-wracking, we are kind of excited – we do have a big purse this time and probably the biggest purse. There are certain slots that we absolutely need to fill, and we are going to try to do our best. We have done a lot of homework this time and I’m crossing my fingers; we can focus on that. Let’s wait and watch,” she said.
Punjab Kings have 9 slots to fill, including 5 overseas players. They have a total purse of INR 53.20 crores.
