3 players that Punjab Kings can release ahead of retention day in IPL 2024

Punjab Kings finished in the 8th position last season but as they do every year, another overhaul might be in the offing for them. The Kings have been in the bottom half for the last few seasons. The retention day is close and the Punjab Kings have a great opportunity to plug the loopholes in their squad. Let’s take a look at 3 players that the Punjab Kings can release ahead of retention day. 

#1. Bhanuka Rajapaksa

The Sri Lankan batter has not found much success in IPL for the Punjab Kings. Last season he only played 4 matches for Punjab, where he scored 71 runs at an average of 23.67. Punjab Kings’ batting unit could not deliver in the last season which was one of the major reasons behind their poor display. The Sri Lankan can be sacrificed as the Punjab Kings would be looking to solidify their batting order. 

#2. Shahrukh Khan

Another middle batsman, this time from Tamil Nadu. Shahrukh Khan came to the Punjab Kings with a lot of reputation as a big hitter but he has not been able to realize his potential. His performances for Punjab have been dismal over the last three seasons. He was bought back by the franchise for a price tag of around 9 crore, but the returns have been discouraging. The management may look to bring a new face to the auction to replace the underperforming Shahrukh Khan. 

#3. Matthew Short

The Australian all-rounder was drafted midway through the season as a replacement for the English opener, Jonny Bairstow. But the Australians failed to impress. He got to play 6 matches for the franchise where he managed to score only 117 runs at a poor average of 19.50. The all-rounder did not even contribute much to the ball. Punjab Kings can get a lot of better all-round opinions on the auction table. They must look for a more effective all-rounder who can bring depth to the side.