Punjab Kings co-owner Ness Wadia reckons that the Indian Premier League (IPL) season should be divided into two halves and has demanded more home games. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently sold the IPL media rights for INR 48,390 crore during the first-ever e-auction with four different bundles. After this successful auction, BCCI secretary Jay Shah talked about having a separate two-and-a-half-month window for the tournament from the next ICC FTP calendar.

There were two new teams added in the recently-concluded IPL 2022 season, which saw an increase in the number of matches. But because of the Covid-19 pandemic, all the matches were played at a neutral venue in a bio-bubble. The IPL committee also introduced a new group stage format to restrict the number of matches to 74, from the possible 90-plus fixtures.

IPL has taken cricket to the global level: Ness Wadia

Fans can witness more matches over the next few years with every team playing against each other twice in a double round-robin format. Wadia also feels that IPL has taken cricket to a global level and predicts that it will get bigger in the future.

“More home games and a bigger season. IPL has taken cricket to the global level. The IPL has provided the spark cricket needed and made it a global sport. It will get even bigger. Having said that, seven matches at home is way too less. It should be a minimum of 14. I really see a much longer season which is long overdue,” Ness Wadia was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.

IPL 2022 witnessed a decline in viewership in the latter stages of the tournament possibly due to viewer fatigue. When asked about this, Wadia recommended two halves season from the next season, one in India and another in another country.

“If you can’t have a long season of four months why not look at two seasons, one in India and one in a different country every year. Indians are everywhere around the world. There is huge potential for having many more games. That is where the creativity comes and we can see how leagues are run around the world. We are long away from fatigue at the moment. We will cross the bridge when we get there,” he said.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) had a disappointing outing in the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as they failed to qualify for the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season. Punjab entered the season as one of the strongest contenders to finish in the top four after recruiting the services of many star players. However, the lack of consistency in their performances and not winning back-to-back matches proved to be detrimental for the franchise.

The Mayank Agarwal-led side relied mainly on their experienced cricketers but the likes of Shahrukh Khan, Johnny Bairstow and the skipper himself didn’t perform to the expectations which hurt their chances of progressing to the playoffs. With 7 wins in 14 matches, Punjab finished sixth in the points table.

Now, ahead of next season, the team management will look to release some of their players who have been disappointed with their performances and players who might not fit into their scheme of things for next season.

Here we bring you three players that PBKS might release ahead of IPL 2023.

1. Odean Smith

The West Indies all-rounder was bought by Punjab Kings for INR 6 crore during the mega auction in the hope that he will put on his all-round show and power the franchise to lift their maiden IPL title. However, he failed to live up to expectations with his performances and eventually got dropped from the team after the first half of the IPL.

Smith played six matches this season, picking up six wickets and scoring 51 runs at a strike rate of 115.91. The right-arm pacer was very expensive with the ball, going at an economy rate of over 11.87. Smith delivered once with his all-round skills but was otherwise inconsistent.

With his inconsistency in both the departments, we may see Smith being released by the franchise ahead of IPL 2023. Punjab will definitely go for a quality all-rounder next season. Moreover, with a limited number of overseas quotas per squad, PBKS will look to find an experienced overseas all-rounder.

2. Sandeep Sharma

Sandeep Sharma is an experienced medium-pacer who has been playing since 2013 and this year he was bought by the Punjab Kings, but it did not work out to plan. The right-arm bowler played just five matches, picking up 2 wickets at an economy rate of 7.65. Sandeep can feel hard done by, given the lack of opportunities this season despite having 114 wickets to his name in IPL.

The 29-year-old was not used by the Punjab franchise as much as his former team, the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Punjab didn’t show much faith in him as when he went expensive in the first game, he was dropped by the management. Sandeep’s performances have also gotten a sudden decline in the last couple of editions.

PBKS have had the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep Singh as frontline pacers and the inclusion of Rishi Dhawan as the third pacer provided a balance to the side. Hence, taking all the above factors into consideration, he might be released by the team ahead of next year’s auction.

3. Prabhsimran Singh

Prabhsimran Singh is a young wicketkeeper-batsman who was once again bought by Punjab Kings during the 2022 mega auction. With just two Indian wicket-keepers in their squad in the form of Prabhsimran Singh and Jitesh Sharma, it was obvious that only one would get the chance. Jitesh grabbed the opportunity and performed really well throughout the season.

The hard-hitting wicketkeeper-batsman got one chance against SRH in the absence of skipper Mayank Agrawal, where he scored just 14 runs. He warmed the bench for almost the entirety of the season as Jitesh Sharma gained precedence in terms of the pecking order.

Punjab’s handling of Prabhsimran sent clear signs that the wicket-keeper is not a part of future plans. Instead, the team management will seek to go after an experienced Indian batter who could anchor an innings for the side in the middle overs.

The Punjab Kings had a hot and cold season in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL). They entered the mega IPL auction for the season with the biggest purse and formed a decent squad that seemed will at least make it to the playoffs, if not go all the way. They made a fabulous team which was rated very highly by the experts. However, the team led by Mayank Agarwal was not able to convert its potential into performance.

The franchise showed faith in Mayank, but the season was not so pleasing for the Karnataka cricketer. Some players had a decent season whereas it turned out to be a disaster for a few others. PBKS were in a good position in the middle of the season, but somehow they lost their way in the second half.

From the last four seasons, the Mohali-based franchise is finishing at number six in the points table. The franchise will not want to repeat the same mistake in the next season and would be eager to make a solid comeback. Some players deserved better opportunities in the season.

Here are 3 Players whom PBKS underutilised:

1. Bhanuka Rajapaksa

The Sri Lankan batter was very impressive in the games he got to play for Punjab Kings in IPL 2022. Jonny Bairstow was not available for Punjab in the first few games of the season, so they chose Rajapaksa as his substitute. He was sent to bat at number three and he loved that position. He started the season with so much confidence.

The southpaw scored 43 off just 22 balls in PBKS’ first game of the season and 31 off just nine balls in the second. But after Bairstow’s arrival, they dropped Bhanuka from the playing 11. However, after a few games, the management realized that they should bring him back into the playing XI.

The wicket-keeper played nine games for Punjab Kings this season scoring 206 runs, at a strike rate of 159.69. He scored 42 off 32 against CSK, and 40 off 28 against GT, but the 43 runs knock off 22 balls against RCB was his best performance in the tournament. Things could have been different if Bhanuka Rajapaksa had got a few more chances.

2. Odean Smith

The Caribbean islands have so many T20 stars and Odean Smith is one of them. The all-rounder was picked by Punjab Kings after some of his impressive performances in the T20Is against India, just a few days before the auction event. He is a medium pace bowler who can contribute with the bat as well.

Odean Smith performed well in the Caribbean Premier League which helped him to make a name for himself. He played a few games for the Punjab Kings in IPL 2022, but the franchise could have thought of giving him more chances to bring the best out of him. He executed his plans fairly well in the games he got a chance to play.

The 25-year-old played six games in IPL 2022 where he scored 51 runs which included five big sixes. He picked six wickets with the ball as well including a brilliant four-wicket haul against the mighty Mumbai Indians. The player is a great T20 package to have in the squad.

3. Harpreet Brar

The spin-bowling all-rounder from Punjab has had a few good outings in the Indian Premier League. He has been with PBKS since 2019, and the management was able to pick him up at the mega auction for 2022 as well for INR 3.8 crore.

Brar played just five games for Punjab Kings in IPL 2022 and did not get many chances with the bat. He picked four wickets with the ball which included a good 3/26 against Sunrisers Hyderabad. He could have played a few more games as he has the potential to contribute in all three aspects of the game.

Brar provided some crucial breakthroughs when the team needed them and also won the “Player of the Match” award in one of the games, for his brilliant bowling performance. He has been a part of IPL for four seasons now, but never got a long run in the playing 11. Hopefully, we will see him play consistently in the coming IPL season.

Analyzing PBKS’ forgettable campaign, Mayank Agarwal has said that he will take lessons and turn them into motivation for a stronger comeback going forward. Despite having a solid team on paper, the Mohali-based franchise showcased inconsistent performances throughout the tournament and a 17-run loss to the northern rivals Delhi Capitals in the final week of the league stages eventually dashed all their playoffs qualification hopes.

Mayank was named the Punjab Kings captain ahead of IPL 2022. He was one of the retained players along with yorker specialist Arshdeep Singh for this season. However, a change in captaincy along with a revamp in the squad did not help their cause as they finished at the sixth position in the points table with seven wins and as many losses from 14 matches.

Tough times don’t last, tough people do: Mayank Agarwal

Taking to his official Twitter handle, Agarwal wrote, “Tough times don’t last, tough people do. And we are a resilient lot. Captaining Punjab Kings has been a journey of leading and learning. Will take the lessons and turn them into motivation for a stronger comeback.”

Tough times don’t last, tough people do. And we are a resilient lot. Captaining Punjab Kings has been a journey of leading and learning.
Will take the lessons and turn them into motivation for a stronger comeback. pic.twitter.com/b3oujYgOuI

— Mayank Agarwal (@mayankcricket) May 26, 2022

Punjab Kings ended their IPL 2022 campaign on a high, defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. It was indeed a comprehensive triumph for the Mohali-based team as SRH were on the back foot throughout the contest. Chasing a paltry 158, PBKS had no issues whatsoever as the side crossed the line with 29 balls to spare. Liam Livingstone was one of the chief architects of Punjab’s victory as the England all-rounder played yet another destructive cameo.

Coming to bat at number five, Livingstone didn’t waste any time and attacked SRH bowlers from the outset. With the help of two boundaries and five maximums, the 28-year-old scored 49 off just 22 balls and remained unbeaten till the end. In fact, the swashbuckler was sensational throughout this season as many potent bowlers became victims of his carnage.

I felt like I was hitting the ball well throughout the tournament: Liam Livingstone

Overall, he mustered 437 runs in 14 games with his strike rate being in excess of 180. Although PBKS couldn’t make it to the final four, Livingstone impressed one and all. Following the conclusion of the game against SRH, Livingstone mentioned that his performance in IPL 2021 had earned him criticism and he was happy to prove those people wrong.

“It was nice. I felt like I was hitting the ball well throughout the tournament. The way we played today was perfect – attacking as well as being smart. It’s been a long two and a half months, it would be good to be away. I am a big believer in matchups and I knew Umran and Washy were my matchups,” Livingstone said after the match.

“Tried to play left-handers well. I don’t think I have ever hit a left-arm spinner over extra covers. We needed just over a run a ball, so didn’t need to go all guns blazing. Need to work out the game and decide how hard to go. It’s nice to prove a few people wrong. Had a few comments after last year’s IPL. I am still learning and developing,” he added.

The concluding game of the group stages of IPL 2022 saw Sunrisers Hyderabad contest Punjab Kings at the Wankhede Stadium. With all playoff berths already being sealed the previous night, both sides were looking at a mid-table finish in a dead rubber after accumulating 12 points each.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar led the side in the absence of Kane Williamson, and he made two changes as Romario Shepherd and Jagadeesha Suchith were included in the XI. Mayank Agarwal also made a few changes as the Punjab side decided to give chances to a few fringe players. Prerak Mankad was included in the XI as the all-rounder was handed a debut by Punjab Kings.

Punjab Kings beat Sunrisers comfortably as they chased down 158 with 29 balls to spare. Liam Livingstone was once again the man of the hour as the powerful batter blazed 49 runs off 22 balls and remained unbeaten. The chase was off to a brisk start as Punjab continued with their all-out attack approach. Harpreet Brar was the star of the show with the ball and was adjudged the Player of the Match as the left-arm spinner finished with the figures of 3/26.

Punjab Kings end the season on a happy note

Meanwhile, Livingstone walked out to bat after the departure of skipper Mayank Agarwal in the eighth over with the score being 71/3. Sunrisers had a chance to get rid of the dangerous right-hander, but Washington Sundar dropped a dolly to give the Englishman a reprieve. Prerak Mankad sealed the victory for Punjab as the debutant hit a four off the first delivery of the 16th over.

Earlier, Bhuvneshwar Kumar won the toss and elected to bat first as the pitch was expected to assist spinners as the game progressed. Priyam Garg, who opened the batting with Abhishek Sharma, fell early to Kagiso Rabada in the third over. Rahul Tripathi and Abhishek Sharma kept the Sunriser’s innings flowing as the pair added 47 runs in 35 balls.

Abhishek Sharma overtook Tripathi as the leading run-scorer for SRH this season as the southpaw scored an impressive 43 before being caught at the boundary by Liam Livingstone. SRH were reeling at 96/5 after losing Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Markram in quick succession. But the pair of Washington Sundar and Romario Shepherd stitched a 58-run partnership as SRH finished with a respectable score of 157/8. Unfortunately for SRH, it was far from enough.

Here’s a look at the best memes from the match: 

Hindi commentators watching Indian fast bowlers pic.twitter.com/KeAr2EWwpC

— Sagar (@sagarcasm) May 22, 2022

Today's match of #SRHvPBKS be like : pic.twitter.com/nXagj3kidr

— UmderTamker (@jhampakjhum) May 22, 2022

Today's match #SRHvsPBKS pic.twitter.com/86AOMT11BX

— memes_hallabol (@memes_hallabol) May 22, 2022

Importance of today’s match on IPL 2022 results #SRHvPBKS pic.twitter.com/hxCv8MqmJX

— J  (@jaynildave) May 22, 2022

Dream Bottom 4 for a RCB fan. pic.twitter.com/1Y5rOF1wQi

— Dusted (@Kohliisgoat) May 22, 2022

Congratulations SRH or PBKS 🧡❤️ pic.twitter.com/seYh0dirZ9

— Heisenberg ☢ (@internetumpire) May 22, 2022

Once open a time I used to watch every matches of IPL 🤕 #IPL2022 #IPL pic.twitter.com/ib0DwrHgJi

— VK ☁️ (@suprvirat) May 22, 2022

Today's scene:#SRHvPBKS #PBKSvsSRH #PremierLeague #BCCI #IPL pic.twitter.com/klNCKnxUeE

— ARYAN (@_ThatLankyGuy) May 22, 2022

Sidha playoffs chalu krwao yrr 😐#IPL #IPL2022 #PBKSvsSRH #SRHvPBKS #bhuvneshwarkumar #Mayankagarwal pic.twitter.com/Ued3Lmp6SV

— SportsOnly (@SportsOnlyOG) May 22, 2022

The exact count of the number of people interested in today's match#IPL #IPL2023 #IndianPremierLeague #SRHvsPBKS #PBKS #srh #IndianCricketTeam pic.twitter.com/B0UcrfEfcL

— Madhuri Vasisht 🇮🇳🧘‍♀️ (@TravellinYogini) May 22, 2022

Harpreet Brar took figures of 3/26 in his four-over spell while Shikhar Dhawan and Liam Livingstone scored 39 and 49 runs respectively as Punjab Kings (PBKS) ended their season on a high by defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) convincingly by five wickets in the last league match of IPL 2022 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Brar got all the big wickets of Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, and Aiden Markram as the Orange Army were restricted to just 157/8 in their allotted 20 overs.

Speaking about how the match went by, Bhuvneshwar Kumar who was in charge of SRH, won the toss and elected to bat first. Priyam Garg got dismissed for just four runs by Kagiso Rabada while Abhishek looked in good touch for his knock of 43 off 32 balls. Tripathi and Markram became victims of Brar for 20 and 21 runs respectively with Nicholas Pooran only scoring five runs. SRH found themselves struggling at 96/5 in 14.4 overs.

But Washington Sundar and Romario Shepherd, who made a comeback to the side, joined hands together to take their team’s total to over 150 runs. The former amassed 25 runs while the West Indian Shepherd made 26. Nathan Ellis, who also got a place in the playing XI today, took 3/40 in his four-over spell. Arshdeep Singh and Livingstone both delivered a tight spell of 0/25 each.

Chasing just 158 to win, Jonny Bairstow made a fluent 23 off just 15 balls which included five fours. Afghanistan pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi dismissed him to bring Shahrukh Khan to the crease at no. three. He mustered 19 off 10 while captain Mayank Agarwal’s calamitous season ended as he scored just one run. In 12 innings, he managed to score only 196 runs at an average of 16.33.

Livingstone came out and did what he does the best, smashing two fours and five sixes, which also brought up the tournament’s 1000th maximum. PBKS raced away to their target in just 15.1 overs to secure their seventh win of the season in a dead rubber match as they finished sixth in the points table. SRH ended up in the eighth spot with just 12 points under their belt. For his match-winning spell, Harpreet Brar was named the Player of the Match.

Meanwhile, here are some of the important stats and numbers from Match 70 between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League 2022:

 413 – Rahul Tripathi scored 413 runs in IPL 2022, the most for him in a season. He had amassed 397 runs in 2021.

3/26 – Harpreet Brar registered his second-best figures of 3/26 in the IPL. His best of 3/19 came against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2021.

23 – Kagiso Rabada took the second-most wickets (23) by a PBKS bowler in an IPL edition. Andrew Tye tops the list for picking up 24 wickets in the 2018 campaign.

6 – PBKS smashed 60-plus score in the powerplay for the sixth time in IPL 2022.

196 – Mayank Agarwal managed to score just 196 runs in 12 innings at a poor average of 16.33 with just one fifty to his name this season.

701 – Shikhar Dhawan reached the landmark of 700 fours in the IPL.

4547 – Liam Livingstone completed 4500 runs in T20 cricket.

1001 – For the first time, 1000 sixes have been hit in an IPL edition.

34 – Livingstone equalled Chris Gayle at the second spot for smashing most sixes (34) for PBKS in an IPL campaign. Gayle also hit 34 maximums in 2019 while Glenn Maxwell tops the chart for slamming 36 in 2014.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) managed to win their last group stage encounter against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) played at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on May 22 (Sunday). The Orange Army tried its level best to compete with the Kings from Punjab, but PBKS was a better side in all departments and won the contest easily.

SRH skipper Bhuvneshwar Kumar won the toss and opted to have a bat first. Young batter Priyam Garg was scalped early, but Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi tried to stabilize the SRH innings. However, none of the SRH batters could convert the starts they got as they finished on 157/8 in their allotted 20 overs.

For PBKS, express pacer Nathan Ellis and Harpreet Brar scalped three crucial wickets each. South African pacer Kagiso Rabada also scalped one wicket but gave away 38 runs in his four-over quota. Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh and Liam Livingstone did not get any wickets, but they bowled economically.

SRH never looked in the game

In reply, PBKS batters came all guns blazing against the Orange Army. The opening duo of Jonny Bairstow and Shikhar Dhawan gave an excellent start to PBKS. The remaining work was then done by Shahrukh Khan, Liam Livingstone, and Jitesh Sharma. For SRH, Washington Sundar, Jagadeesha Suchith, and Umran Malik scalped one wicket apiece. Left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi was the pick of the bowlers for SRH as he scalped two wickets of both openers Bairstow and Dhawan. The left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar was adjudged the Player of the Match for his vital contribution.

With the final group stage game of IPL 2022 completed, Punjab Kings finished in the sixth spot in the points table. Gujarat Titans (GT), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are the top four teams in the points table.

Here’s the updated points table after tonight’s match:

For the Orange Cap list, click here

For the Purple Cap list, click here

Punjab Kings ended their IPL 2022 campaign on a high, thrashing Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets on Sunday (May 22). As both teams were already eliminated from the playoff race, the last league-stage game of the tournament was a dead rubber. SRH were without their regular skipper Kane Williamson and pace spearhead Bhuvneshwar Kumar handled the reins. The Orange Army put up a below-par show as PBKS comprehensively chased down 158.

Speaking of how the game panned out, SRH won the toss and opted to bat at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. As nothing was at stake in this game, there were considerable inclusions in both camps with the benched players getting a go. Meanwhile, the Sunrisers were pushed on the back foot straight away with opener Priyam Garg perishing for four.

PBKS had the command throughout the contest

The ship was then steadied by Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi, who took SRH past 50. Just when the former looked set to play a substantial knock, he was dismissed for 43. Tripathi and Aiden Markram also got starts but were dismissed for 20s. With SRH batters not converting their starts, PBKS never allowed the scoring rate to go out of control.

Towards the end, Washington Sundar and Romario Shepherd played handy cameos as SRH finished at 157/8 in their allotted 20 overs. For PBKS, Harpreet Brar and Nathan Ellis picked three wickets apiece. In reply, PBKS got off to a fiery start with opener Jonny Bairstow scoring a quickfire 23. Batting at number three, Shahrukh Khan also scored a 10-ball 19, reducing the required run rate even further.

While Shikhar Dhawan was watchful at one end, the others were following the ‘see the ball, hit the ball’ mantra. Although Dhawan departed for 39, Liam Livingstone made sure there was no twist in the tale. The England international scored an unbeaten 49 off just 22 deliveries as PBKS crossed the line in just 15.1 overs, clinching the contest by five wickets.

Meanwhile, let’s look at how Twitter reacted to PBKS’ triumph:

Liam Livingstone in IPL 2022:

14 matches
437 runs
36.41 average
182.08 strike rate
4 fifties
29 fours
34 sixes
6 wickets

A Livingstone show, the monster. pic.twitter.com/fKyj0bSXp3

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 22, 2022

Liam Livingstone is crazy hitter, geez! Such a terrific player.

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 22, 2022

A shame, Punjab couldn’t make it to the Playoffs this year in spite of having Livingstone in such murderous mood @liaml4893 #PBKS #PBKSVsSRH

— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) May 22, 2022

1⃣0⃣0⃣0⃣th SIX OF #IPL2022 🤩🔥💥

Fittingly, it comes from the bat of Liam Livingstone 🫶❣️#SaddaPunjab #IPL2022 #PunjabKings #SRHvPBKS #ਸਾਡਾਪੰਜਾਬ @liaml4893 pic.twitter.com/uw8azbADhi

— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) May 22, 2022

Liam Livingstone hits 1000 SIXES of this IPL 2022.

— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) May 22, 2022

Liam Livingstone 🔥#IPL2022 #SRHvPBKS pic.twitter.com/LHm97qbSnc

— RVCJ Media (@RVCJ_FB) May 22, 2022

This is the first ever IPL season with 1000 sixes.
Liam Livingstone hits the 1000th six.#IPL2022

— Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats) May 22, 2022

And Liam Livingstone hits the 1000th six of the #IPL2022, first time in any edition.

— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) May 22, 2022

Liam Livingstone In #IPL2022 :
14 Matches
437 Runs – 2nd In Ornage Cap
AVG – 36.41
SR – 182.08
4 50s
29 Fours
34 Sixes – 2nd most
6 Wickets With Ball
Some Great Catches
What A Campaign For @liaml4893 👏
Gave his best for King's 💎#IPL2022 #srhvspbks pic.twitter.com/vWqyWl2f9h

— Pratik 🪄 (@122mlongsix) May 22, 2022

When people talk about consistency, they don't talk much about Punjab Kings.

Unmatchable consistency to finish 6-6-6-6 in last 4 seasons.

6 hitting monsters, rightly said.

— RIP Mumma ❤️ (@akashcr699) May 22, 2022

Preview:

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings will face each other in the last group stage game of IPL 2022. Both the teams have been eliminated from the tournament and hence, this match’s result won’t have a significant impact on the points tally. However, both the teams would be hoping to end their journey on a positive note.

Both SRH and PBKS have won 6 out of 13 matches and have accumulated 12 points. SRH won their last game against Mumbai Indians by a mere margin of 3 runs while Punjab Kings lost their previous match to Delhi Capitals by 17 runs.

Match Details:

Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings, Match 70

Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Date & Time: 22nd May at 7:30 PM IST and Local Time

Live Streaming: Star Sports Network and Disney+Hotstar

SRH vs PBKS, Match 70 Pitch Report:

This would be the last game of the season at the Wankhede and the pitch is likely to support the batters. Both the teams have an equally great batting line-up and this might be a high-scoring encounter.

Injury News:

Kane Williamson has traveled back to New Zealand and would miss this match.

Also Read: Mohammad Kaif stunned after Ashwin’s performance against CSK

SRH vs PBKS, Match 70 Probable Playing XIs:

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Abhishek Sharma, Priyam Garg, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran(w), Romario Shepherd, Washington Sundar, Jagadeesha Suchith, Bhuvneshwar Kumar(c), Fazalhaq Farooqi, Umran Malik

Punjab Kings

Jonny Bairstow, Shikhar Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Mayank Agarwal(c), Shahrukh Khan, Jitesh Sharma(w), Harpreet Brar, Nathan Ellis, Prerak Mankad, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh

Top Picks for SRH vs PBKS Dream11 Match:

Top Picks – Batters

Rahul Tripathi:

He is the leading run-scorer for SRH this season and has made 393 runs in 13 matches at an average of 39.3 and a strike rate of 161.72. He made 76 runs off 44 deliveries in the last match against MI and won the Player of the Match award.

Shikhar Dhawan:

He has not scored more than 21 runs in any of the last 3 innings, however, he is still the highest run-scorer for Punjab Kings. Dhawan has made 421 runs in 13 matches at an average of 38.27 and a strike rate of 122.74.

Top Picks – All-Rounders

Liam Livingstone:

He has played a key role for PBKS in the middle-order and has also taken a few wickets. In the last game against Delhi Capitals, Livingstone picked 3 wickets for 27 runs. With the bat, he has made 388 runs in 13 matches at an average of 32.33 and a strike rate of 177.98.

Aiden Markram:

He is likely to play a key role in this match for SRH in the absence of Kane Williamson. Markram has made 360 runs in 13 matches at an average of 51.42 and a strike rate of 140.07 including 3 half-centuries.

Top Picks – Bowlers

Kagiso Rabada:

With 22 wickets in 12 matches, Kagiso Rabada is the leading wicket-taker for PBKS. Rabada has been in great form recently and has taken a four-wicket haul twice. PBKS would be hoping for some early breakthroughs from Rabada.

Umran Malik:

He is the leading wicket-taker for SRH this season. He has picked 21 wickets in 13 matches at an average of 20, an economy of 8.93, and a strike rate of 13.4. Umran has taken 6 wickets in the last 2 games.

Top Picks – Wicketkeeper

Jonny Bairstow:

He has made a single-digit score only once in the last 5 matches and has some of the best knocks since he has been promoted up the batting order. He has scored 230 runs in 10 matches at an average of 23 and a strike rate of 143.75.

SRH vs PBKS Must Picks for Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:

Suggested Playing XI No.1 for SRH vs PBKS Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:

Nicholas Pooran, Jitesh Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, Rahul Tripathi (vc), Priyam Garg, Liam Livingstone (c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nathan Ellis, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik

Suggested Playing XI No.2 for SRH vs PBKS Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:

Jonny Bairstow, Nicholas Pooran, Shikhar Dhawan (c), Priyam Garg, Rahul Tripathi, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram (vc), Liam Livingstone, Kagiso Rabada, Nathan Ellis, Umran Malik

SRH vs PBKS Risky Captaincy Choices:

Priyam Garg:

He played his first game of the season against Mumbai Indians in the last match. He went on to score 42 runs off 26 deliveries and had a decent partnership of 78 runs along with Rahul Tripathi for the second wicket.

Jitesh Sharma:

He has been the find of the season for PBKS. Also, he has been the first-choice wicketkeeper in the team despite Bairstow being in the playing 11. In the last game against Delhi Capitals, he made 44 runs off 34 deliveries.

Player you should avoid:

Washington Sundar:

He has not been able to deliver a significant performance this season and has been in and out of the playing 11 due to injury. You can avoid him in your fantasy team for this match.

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Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.