Punjab Kings, as usual, did a lot of chopping and changing ahead of the IPL 2023 season. They released a total of nine players, including their former captain, Mayank Agarwal ahead of the auction, out of which 3 are reserved for foreign players.
This year, 991 players have registered for the IPL auction, and Punjab Kings would be looking forward to rope in the best nine of them featured on the long list. They will head into IPL 2023 auction with INR 32.20 crores in their purse.
On that note, let’s take a look at the top three players Punjab Kings could target in the mini-auctions ahead of the IPL 2023 season:
1. Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes | Source: Twitter
Punjab Kings signed West Indies all-rounder Odean Smith in the previous season. However, he failed to live up to the expectations both with the bat and the ball. They have released Odean Smith ahead of the auction and adding Strokes to the line-up will solve the issues of their team balance.
The Mohali-based franchise looks in the strongest position to sign Sam Curran, who is expected to be among the most expensive players in the auction. He has plenty of IPL experience and has single-handedly won many matches with his batting as well as bowling. He’s likely to be the hottest property in the 2023 auction.
Another hottest property of the upcoming IPL 2023 auction. Yes, given the hype around the young Australian all-rounder, Green is likely to spark a bidding war in the auction on 23 December. He has set the international arena on fire with his all-round performances. In addition to that, he is a gun fielder at the boundary.
