IPL titles: 0
Punjab Kings, rechristened as Punjab Kings from this year have not won a single IPL title in 13 attempts. They came close in 2014 where they had a fantastic run, finishing at the top of the table but lost to Kolkata Knight Riders in the final in Bengaluru. They have not made it out of the group stage for 12 out of the 14 seasons.
Here’s how they have fared year on year
How did they fare the previous season: They have achieved some sort of consistency but one which they wouldn’t want to be proud of. For the last three seasons, they have consistently finished sixth. It was another disappointing campaign in IPL 2021 for Punjab Kings as they didn’t make it to the playoffs and ended sixth on the table. They won just six out of their 14 matches, finishing with 12 points.
Win Percentage: Punjab Kings have the second-worst win percentage (for teams to have played 100 matches or more) at 45.58, winning 91 of their 204 matches and losing 109.
Highest Run-getter: KL Rahul
KL Rahul who started off his PBKS career in 2018 has been the highest run-getter for the franchise with 2548 runs from 55 innings at 56.62. He scored two hundreds and 23 fifties in his four-year PBKS career and possessed a SR of 139.76. He decided to leave the franchise at the end of IPL 2021 and joined Lucknow Super Giants where he will be leading the new franchise.
Among the current crop, Mayank Agarwal, who will be leading the PBKS side this season, leads the charts with 1317 runs from 47 innings at an average of 29.26 and a strike rate of 144.24. He’s hit one century and 8 fifties.
Highest wicket-taker: Piyush Chawla
Piyush Chawla has been slowly going about his business accumulating wickets for his franchises. He’s the highest wicket-taker for Punjab Kings with 84 wickets from 87 innings at 26.63. He possessed an economy rate of 7.52 and a strike rate of 21.2 and had one four-wicket haul.
Among the current crop, Sandeep Sharma, who started his IPL career with Punjab, is the highest wicket-taker with 71 wickets from 56 innings at 22.35. He has an economy rate of 7.77 and a strike rate of 17.2. He shifted to SRH after 2017 and was bought back by Punjab in the IPL 2022 auction for 50 lakh.
Highest individual score: KL Rahul 132 not out vs RCB at Dubai in 2020
Rahul hit a whirlwind 132 off 69 balls hammering 14 fours and seven sixes against RCB at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in 2020. Punjab Kings posted 206/3. In reply, RCB were bundled out for 109.
Highest team score: 232 vs RCB at Dharamsala
Adam Gilchrist led the way with 106 off 55 balls hitting eight fours and nine sixes and was ably supported by Shaun Marsh (79 off 49 balls) as Punjab Kings posted 232/2 at Dharamsala in 2011. RCB succumbed to 121 all out, losing by 111 runs.
Favourite opponent: Deccan Chargers
Punjab Kings have had the most success against Deccan Chargers (For teams against whom PKS has played 10 or more matches). They had a win percentage of 70 percent with 7 wins from 10 matches and just 3 losses. They have won the most against Delhi Capitals, winning in 15 out of 26 matches with a win percentage of 59.61.
Bogey team: Sunrisers Hyderabad
Punjab Kings have lost 66.67 percent of their matches against SRH. Their worst against any team (For teams against whom PKS have played 10 or more matches). They have lost 12 of the 18 games played and won just six.
When they played in the UAE: They went rampant winning all the five matches of the UAE leg in 2014. All of them were comfortable victories and it finished as their best season as they reached finals for the first time but couldn’t cross the finish line, losing to KKR in a thriller. However, they didn’t have the best of time six years later as they finished sixth in the 2020 IPL.
It wasn’t any better in 2021 IPL as they won just three of the seven matches of the UAE leg, finishing sixth in the points table.
Lesser known facts:
– Punjab Kings have conceded the joint-most hat-tricks (along with Mumbai Indians) in the IPL – 3: Lakshmipathy Balaji (CSK) in 2008, Amit Mishra (Deccan Chargers) in 2011, Sunil Narine (KKR) in 2013
– Punjab Kings have also taken joint-most hat-tricks in the IPL along with RR: Yuvraj Singh vs RCB in 2009, Yuvraj Singh vs Deccan Chargers in 2009, Axar Patel vs Gujarat Lions in 2016, and Sam Curran vs Delhi Capitals in 2019.
– Piyush Chawla took 23 wickets from 26 matches at a strike rate of 24.26 at PCA IS Bindra Stadium in IPL – the most by a Punjab Kings player at any venue in IPL.
– Shaun Marsh amassed 1064 runs from 27 innings at an average of 44.33 and a strike rate of 130.23 in IPL – the most by a Punjab Kings player at any venue in IPL.
– Former Punjab Kings captain KL Rahul holds the record of scoring the fastest fifty in the tournament. He did it while playing for Punjab Kings in just 12 balls against DC at IS Bindra Stadium in 2018.
Purchases, releases and squad
IPL 2020 auctions players bought: Jhye Richardson, Shahrukh Khan, Dawid Malan, Riley Meredith, Moises Henriques, Jalaj Saxena, Utkarsh Singh, Fabian Allen, Saurabh Kumar
IPL 2020 players traded in: None
IPL 2020 Retained players: KL Rahul, Arshdeep Singh, Chris Gayle, Darshan Nalkande, Harpreet Brar, Mandeep Singh, Mayank Agarwal, Mohd. Shami, M Ashwin, Nicholas Pooran, Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Ishan Porel, Ravi Bishnoi, Chris Jordan, Prabhsimran Singh
Released players: Glenn Maxwell, Sheldon Cottrell, Mujeeb Zadran, Hardus Viljoen, James Neesham, Krishnappa Gowtham, Karun Nair, Jagadeesha Suchith, Tejinder Singh Dhillon.
Full squad:
KL Rahul (c&wk), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Mandeep Singh, Prabsimran Singh, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Murugan Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Harpreet Brar, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Porel, Darshan Nalkande, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Jhye Richardson, Shahrukh Khan, Riley Meredith, Moises Henriques, Jalaj Saxena, Utkarsh Singh, Fabian Allen, Saurabh Kumar.