There is just a day left until the start of the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League. The 15th edition will kick off with a match between last season’s finalists, CSK and KKR. The auction has shuffled the players from one team to another, and now all the teams are looking strong to lift the trophy this season. However, two more teams have joined the former eight teams, and it has made the tournament more exciting. But the former Indian skipper, Sunil Gavaskar, didn’t seem happy with the combination of one team in the league.
Punjab Kings, who have suffered badly in the last four seasons, will look to overcome all those bad performances. They have completely changed the team. Mayank Agrawal will lead the side, and with the addition of Shikhar Dhawan, Rabada, Bairstow, and Livingstone, the side is looking stronger than ever. But Gavaskar has a different opinion on it.
“I doubt that Punjab will win the trophy” – Sunil Gavaskar
The Mohali-based franchise hasn’t performed as per expectations so far in the Indian Premier League. In IPL history, PBKS has reached the playoff stage only once, and that was in the 2014 season, when they ended up being the runners-up. So there is a long wait to even qualify for the top four. And that’s what Gavaskar pointed out this time as well. During an interaction with Sports Tak, the Little Master opened up about his views of the Punjab Kings. He said that the franchise is still lacking any impact player in their squad that can win you the match more often that not.
Gavaskar stated that PBKS is yet to win the title and that this time, the story might be the same. However, the 72-year-old also feels that it might give Punjab an extra edge because having fewer expectations can help you perform more. He said, “When the pressure is less, the players are freer in their approach.”
Further, he added that Punjab could surprise a few teams in the competition, but winning the trophy looks difficult. He also said that in the T20 format, a team needs to be consistent to win the tournament, which is lacking with PBKS. He concluded, “Will they win the trophy? I doubt that. See, this is a T20 format and you have to be in that consistent cycle of winning. “
Punjab Kings are placed in Group B, along with CSK, SRH, RCB, and Gujarat Titans. They will kick off their tournament on Sunday, March 27, against RCB at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. The franchise has tried to add some big names to the squad, and to some extent, they have succeeded in doing so. But it will be interesting to see how they perform.