PBKS Predicted XI vs RCB, IPL 2022: Punjab set to hand league debut to 19-year-old as Mayank-led side begins new era

Punjab Kings have hit the reboot button ahead of the 2022 season. They have a new captain in the form of Mayank Agarwal, having let go of KL Rahul who had become the face of the team over the last few seasons. Mayank could try moving away from the opening position, with PBKS now having Shikhar Dhawan and Jonny Bairstow in their squads.

Also read: RCB Predicted XI vs PBKS, IPL 2022: RCB fret over absence of Maxwell

However, like Royal Challengers Bangalore who they face in their first match of the season on Sunday, PBKS don't have a couple of key players in the form of Bairstow and Kagiso Rabada. Both players are out due to international commitments which means that they will have some of their second string players getting a chance to show what they are made of. 

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Let's take a look at the PBKS's predicted XI for this match:   

Shikhar Dhawan: Dhawan should be PBKS's first-choice opener throughout the tournament. Punjab Kings bought him for Rs. 8.25 crore during the auction. Last year, Dhawan scored 587 runs in 16 games.

Mayank Agarwal (captain): Agarwal can be expected to open the batting in the absence of Bairstow. Agarwal scored 441 runs in 12 games at an average of 40.09.

Prabhsimran Singh (wicketkeeper): Prabhsimran has been a consistent performer for Punjab in domestic cricket and has a chance of making a name for himself in the IPL until Bairstow joins up with the squad. 

Liam Livingstone: At ₹11.50 crore, Livingstone was Punjab's most expensive buy and so they will hope that he comes good this season. Livingstone had opted out of the tournament last season.  

Shahrukh Khan: A player with prodigious talent, Shahrukh Khan took the recent domestic season by storm, scoring 101 runs off 64 balls in six innings in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s and 253 runs at a strike rate of 186.02 from seven outings in the Vijay Hazare 50-overs Trophy, and 285 runs from four innings in the Ranji Trophy (strike rate 102.88).

Harpreet Brar: Brar was bought for Rs. 3.8 crores during IPL auction. He has played 10 IPL games so far in his career. He accounted for 84 runs and 5 wickets last season.

Rishi Dhawan: Dhawan can contribute with both bat and ball and will be valuable at the start of the tail. He has played 26 IPL matches so far and scored 153 runs in 17 innings at an average of 21.86. He has also picked 18 wickets. He will be an advantage with both bat and ball.

Odean Smith: This will be the West Indies pacer's debut season in the IPL and PBKS are expected to hope that he leads the pace attack in the absence of Kagiso Rabada. 

Raj Angad Bawa: Considered a future star, Bawa was the star of India's succesfull run in the U19 World Cup. He is set to feature in the absence of Rabada.  

Arshdeep Singh: One of the breakout stars for PBKS in the topsy turvy seasons they have had in recent years, Arshdeep will be a regular for the team this season. He picked 18 wickets in 12 games last season at an average of 19.0.

Rahul Chahar: Picked for Rs. 5.25 crores during the auction, Chahar can be PBKS's primary spinner this season. Playing for Mumbai Indians last season, the right-arm spinner scalped 13 wickets in 11 games.