Punjab Kings (PBKS) endured another tough last cycle, failing to qualify for the playoffs in any of the three cycles. Last season they could only win five games and finished in ninth position with only ten points.

Despite always being underperformers, PBKS had many quality players and like any other team, they will have to make some tough decisions. They cannot retain all the good players and must be cautious with their selection.

We could have some surprises as PBKS could part ways with some good players due to the dynamics of the auction.

Sam Curran

When Punjab Kings bought Sam Curran for a whopping Rs 18.50 crore in the IPL 2023 auction, he became the most expensive player at that time. However, it failed to produce performances in line with expectations and surely did not justify that price.

Since there will be a lot of all-round bowling up for grabs in the mega auction, PBKS is likely to release Curran. He won’t go near the retention slab this time, especially after his recent struggles.

Prabhsimran Singh

Prabhsimran Singh was among the best batsmen for PBKS in the previous cycle and played some crucial knocks in each edition. However, PBKS will be tempted to drop him as they cannot retain him even in the uncapped category.

They already have Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma to retain INR 4 crore each as uncapped players as they showed a higher ceiling during the last season. If they want, PBKS can get it back at a lower price, but they have to release it to remain flexible in the auction.

Kagiso Rabada

PBKS had high hopes for Kagiso Rabada, but he failed to deliver consistently. The team played him over Nathan Ellis for most of the cycle, but returns remained modest.

Before the mega auction, PBKS will likely release him as he is not worth enough to fetch an amount equal to the holding slab, and his auction value will be much lower. Several quality players will be available in the mega auction, so it is not wise to spend so much on an underperforming player, especially when it is a foreign player.