PBKS IPL auction 2023: Will Punjab Kings target Stokes or Green to solve woes?

IPL auction: What will PBKS’s auction strategy be when 405 players go under the hammer on Friday, December 23 in Kochi.

Shikhar Dhawan’s Punjab Kings could invest in a start overseas all-rounder at the IPL 2023 auction on Friday. | Photo Credit: SPORTZPICS

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 auction is set to take place on Friday (December 23) in Kochi.

The 10 franchises will firm up their squads after they released a bunch of players ahead of the 16th edition of the IPL. The mini-auction will have a maximum of 87 slots up for grabs, with room for 30 overseas players to feature in the league.

READ | Which players will come in IPL 2023 auction: base price, age, country and IPL history

Here’s what PBKS’s auction strategy could look like:

Punjab Kings

Purse remaining: INR 32.2 crore

Total slots available: 9

Overseas slots available: 3

Here’s what PBKS’s auction strategy could look like:

Punjab Kings IPL auction strategy: The franchise will have a new leader in Shikhar Dhawan and will want to continue its aggressive brand of cricket with the bat. With a settled batting line-up, which includes hard hitters Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone and Bhanuka Rajapaksa, and Arshdeep Singh and Kagiso Rabada forming a world-class pace duo, Punjab Kings will focus on getting a quality all-rounder and a spinner as a backup for Rahul Chahar and Harpreet Brar. 

The franchise has the second biggest purse remaining and roping in hot property Ben Stokes or Cameroon Green could be feasible for the Kings. Punjab’s high-risk, high-reward approach with the bat is prone to collapses and it could look for an anchor in Manish Pandey or Kane Williamson and Joe Root among overseas options.