IPL 2022: At the IPL 2022 mega auctions, Punjab Kings had the largest purse. They made some fantastic buys with 72 crores in the auction and put a lot of money behind a few players. The most spectacular auction purchases were Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow, Kagiso Rabada, and Shikhar Dhawan.
With only two players retained, the franchise was forced to start over at the auction. They would think so after adding 25 players at the auction, seven of whom are international players. Despite the acquisitions, they still had 3.45 crores in their bank account, which would have been enough to purchase another player.
It will be interesting to see which of their four abroad choices they choose. In this article, we forecast which four foreign players Punjab Kings would select for their playing XI in the IPL 2022 season.
IPL 2022: First Choice 4 Overseas Players Of PBKS
1. Liam Livingstone
Punjab Kings paid a huge sum of 11.50 crores to sign the England batsman. They must give him a long run to ensure that he has ample opportunities to perform and live up to the reputation he has built in the T20 competitions.
Livingstone has only played nine games in the IPL thus far, scoring only 112 runs. If he gets going, he can be a really destructive player. For England, he had the fastest century in T20I cricket.
2. Jonny Bairstow
Bairstow, like Livingstone, adds muscle to the lineup. The team is actually spoiled for hitters and should figure out a method to offer the two players in the batting line-up a slot in order to maximize their ability.
Bairstow should bat first alongside Shikhar Dhawan, with Mayank Agarwal batting at number four, allowing Livingstone to bat at three. Mayank Agarwal, Shikhar Dhawan, Bairstow, Livinngstione, and Shikhar Dhawan might be a lethal top-order combination for the squad.
3. Kagiso Rabada
Kagiso Rabada is famed for his thunderbolts, which have an average speed of over 140kph and are delivered in a rhythmic run-up followed by a rapid arm action.
His outstanding performance in the 2014 U-19 World Cup earned him a quick pathway to the senior team, and the 24-year-old has become the Proteas bowling attack’s leader in the last five years. Rabada became the second bowler in one-day cricket history to bowl a hat-trick on his debut.
In terms of bowling two overs in the powerplay and two overs at the end, Kagiso Rabada is their safe haven. It will be intriguing to see how the skipper uses the South African. Rabada should also play every game for the franchise in order to offer himself the best opportunity of winning. So far, he has 76 wickets in 50 games with the Delhi Capitals.
4. Odean Smith
Odean Fabian Smith is a cricketer from Jamaica. In April 2018, he made his international debut for the West Indies cricket team.
The franchise paid 6 crores for Odean Smith. In the ODI series against India, his big-hitting abilities were on display. This could be what inspired the franchise to throw its support behind the West Indian all-rounder. Smith is a newcomer to the international cricket scene. In the CPL, he has put in some impressive efforts. In IPL 2022, the franchise hopes he performs at his best.
