Punjab Kings (PBKS) had a great outing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction. They ticked almost every box in the event and brought some big names to strengthen their squad for the upcoming edition of the league.
While they got almost everyone they would’ve wanted in the team, Punjab Kings also made a blunder in the auction. That incident has made many wonder about what actually happened and the fans slammed the franchise for the unprofessional behavior.
Punjab Kings bid for young Indian player Shashank Singh and they acquired him. As the auctioneer then put in the next player for bid, team management stopped the process. They told them that they didn’t need the player but the host didn’t agree, saying that the hammer came down.
Here’s the video:
Fantastic scenes here as the notoriously inept Punjab Kings manage to not only purchase a player they didn’t want, (Shashank Singh), they also admit to this in front of literally everyone. Singh we can guess is sat at home wondering whether to show up in March. #IPLAuction #pbks pic.twitter.com/PtLQv9t07H
— Punjab Kings UK??? (@PunjabKingsUK) December 19, 2023
Shashank Singh however, will be playing for Punjab Kings in the IPL 2024. They had to accept him as they had no other choice left. The decision was even criticized by the anchor of the Jio Cinema Suhail Chandok. He said that the team seemed uncleared with their tactics.
He stated: “We don’t see that in the auction if you are clear with your plans.”
Shashank Singh was part of the Sunrises Hyderabad in the IPL 2022. However, he was released by the team ahead of the 2023 edition. The Chattisgarh player didn’t attract any bidders in the auction last year.
Shashank Singh has found himself in the middle of nowhere ahead of the IPL 2024. The franchise surely didn’t want him but he has been added to the team. It remains to be seen what will be his future with the team in the tournament. The team might release an official statement but so far things look bleak.
Apart from him, Punjab Kings brought some good players. They spent a whopping amount of 11.75 crores for Harshal Patel and acquired Chris Woakes for 4.2 crores. They in the last fetched the opportunity to bring Rilee Rossouw for 8 crores.
IPL 2024 Auction: Punjab Kings Full Squad, Players Retained, Players Brought At Auction
Punjab Kings were among the teams who filled all the 25 slots. Here is the full squad for the IPL 2024:
Shikhar Dhawan (c), Matthew Short, Prabhsimran Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Sikandar Raza, Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh, Nathan Ellis, Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Shivam Singh, Harshal Patel, Chris Woakes, Ashutosh Sharma, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Shashank Singh, Tanay Thyagarajann, Prince Choudhary, Rilee Rossouw.
Players Brought By Punjab Kings at IPL 2024 Auction:
Harshal Patel (Rs. 11.75 crore), Chris Woakes (Rs. 4.20 crore), Ashutosh Sharma (Rs. 20 lakh), Vishwanath Pratap Singh (Rs. 20 lakh), Shashank Singh (Rs. 20 lakh), Tanay Thyagarajann (Rs. 20 lakh), Prince Choudhary (Rs. 20 lakh), Rilee Rossouw (Rs. 8 crore).
Player Retained By Punjab Kings Ahead Of IPL 2024
Shikhar Dhawan, Matthew Short, Prabhsimran Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Sikandar Raza, Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh, Nathan Ellis, Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Shivam Singh.
Punjab Kings brought 8 players in the IPL 2024 auction. However, despite spending chunks of money they still have 4.15 crore pending.
