Punjab Kings to Release Mayank Agarwal, Shahrukh Khan, & Odean Smith Ahead of IPL 2023 Mini-Auction – Reports

The Preity Zinta & Ness Wadia co-owned franchise Punjab Kings seems to be eyeing a major overhaul ahead of IPL 2023, as apart from appointing a new captain, a new coach, and new members of the support staff, they are set to release some big names before heading into mini-auction in December.

If reports are to be believed, Punjab Kings are set to release their last year’s captain Mayank Agarwal (12 crores), Tamil Nadu batter Shahrukh Khan (9 crores), and West Indies all-rounder Odean Smith (6 crores) in order to expand their overall purse.

According to the reports of Cricbuzz, the English all-rounders Ben Stokes, Sam Curran, and Australian Cameron Green are all keen to take part in the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League and Punjab Kings are eyeing to pick two of them to form a strong core.

Stokes skipped the 2022 edition of the cash-rich league to focus on Test cricket. He also announced retirement from the 50-overs format recently and is keen to participate in the 2023 season of the tournament.

Sam Curran missed the 15th edition of the tournament due to an injury and is all set to make a comeback in the cash-rich league. Green, meanwhile, impressed one and all with his stunning performances with both bat and ball off late.

The IPL mega auction is scheduled to take place on December 16, with the venue for the showpiece event yet to be decided. Franchises will be required to submit a list of their retained and released players by November 15.