IPL 2023 recap: Lackluster PBKS failed to impress, finished eighth
Punjab Kings (PBKS) will have a point to prove heading into the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) as the illustrious trophy is still elusive for them. PBKS finished at the eighth position last season as they were off to a poor start and could not recover thereafter. They will be desperate to turn things around. Here we revisit PBKS's campaign in IPL 2023.
An eighth-place finish for the Kings
Having won just six of their 14 games, the Shikhar Dhawan-led side finished at the eighth place with a poor net run rate of -0.304. PBKS failed to identify their best combination as they lost five of their final seven games. Dhawan's leadership skills also came under the scanner at times, though he enjoyed a decent campaign with the bat.
How did the batters perform?
With 373 runs at 41.44, Dhawan was PBKS's highest run-getter last season. He missed a few games. His fellow opener Prabhsimran Singh played a few fine knocks, including a ton. He finished with 358 runs at 25.57. Atharva Taide (186 runs at 26.57) fared decently in his limited appearances. However, PBKS's top-order never looked settled as several players were tried in these positions.
Decent show from middle and lower-order
PBKS's middle and lower order often tried to make it up for the poor start. Liam Livingstone (279 runs, striking at 34.87) was destructive in the end overs. His England teammate Sam Curran (276 runs at a strike rate of 135.96) also did well. Jitesh Sharma also aced the finisher's role, smoking 309 runs at a strike rate of 156.06.
How did the bowlers perform?
The inability of PBKS bowlers to contain runs hurt the team big time. With 17 wickets, Arshdeep Singh finished as their highest wicket-taker (ER: 9.69). Nathan Ellis (13 wickets at an economy of 8.92) and Curran (10 at an economy of 10.22) were also among the wickets. Though Rahul Chahar's economy was 7.75, he claimed eight wickets in 14 outings.
Key numbers from PBKS's campaign
As per ESPNcricinfo, PBKS lost the joint-second-most wickets in the powerplay (28). Their run rate in this phase was run rate of 8.69 Their economy rate in this phase was the third-worst (9.22). However, PBKS's economy rate in the last four overs was on the higher side (11.24). Their scoring rate in this phase was the third-best (11.70).
