Punjab Kings expertly executed their plans at the 2021 VIVO Indian Premier League auctions, as they made the most of their augmented purse to rope in several exciting Indian and overseas players to their roster. The franchise picked up eight new players, six of whom will be playing in the IPL for the first time in 2021, after some feisty bidding wars, while Moises Henriques returned back to the team for a second stint. 

The team management broke the bank to secure the services of Australian pacer Jhye Richardson, who created history by becoming the most expensive player to be picked by Punjab Kings ever in the IPL. Punjab Kings also fought off interest from Delhi Capitals to purchase another Aussie pacer in Riley Meredith. 

“It is good to have young players. They bring freshness to the team and the squad. It is nice to have no legacy of the IPL because sometimes the baggage can weigh down your expectations. Looking forward to having them in our squad,” said Anil Kumble, speaking on the two Aussie quicks. 

Punjab Kings also picked hard-hitting batsman Shahrukh Khan, fending off a strenuous bidding war with other teams to secure his services. Shahrukh was one of the rising stars of the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring several match-winning cameos for the victorious Tamil Nadu team. 

Anil Kumble and co. also made a few thrifty picks in the auction, getting back Moises Henriques to their team while also nabbing top ranked T20I batsman Dawid Malan at base price. “Dawid Malan at one and a half crores I think is a very good buy. He’s the number one T20 batsman so it is good to have one of the best in the squad,” said Anil Kumble. 

Post the high tea break, Punjab Kings accelerated their pace as they picked up a flurry of players to complete their squad. Domestic talents like Jalal Saxena and Utkarsh Singh. The franchise also managed to rope in promising West Indian all-rounder Fabian Allen- securing his services for base price. 

Uttar Pradesh bowler Saurabh Kumar was the final player to be picked by Punjab Kings, finishing up their 25-man squad for IPL 2021. The team had retained 16 players ahead of the auctions, and some shrewd business meant they finished their business earlier than most other franchises.