Punjab have once again disappointed their fans by finishing sixth in the Indian T20 League 2022. The team has been trapped in the same pattern since 2019. From 2019 to this year, they have been finishing sixth in the league stages consistently. The last time they finished lower than this in the points table was in 2018 when they finished seventh. They have tried the most number of players in the last four seasons, but things remain the same.
Every year, the franchise makes a lot of changes, irrespective of whether the league is conducting a mini-auction or a mega auction. Every season, they face a new issue. In seasons 2020 and 2021, the team was highly dependent on their opening batters, and their bowling was quite weak. They pretty much addressed both departments this year but still failed to qualify for the playoffs.
In this article, we shall be taking a look at three players who might be released next year.
Three players who might be released
- Odean Smith
The West Indian came in with a lot of reputation. He is an all-rounder who can bowl medium-pace, and can bat in the lower-middle order. He did start his tournament in some style with an eight-ball 25 in his side’s first game against Bangalore. However, in that game, he was plundered for 52 runs in four overs.
The right-arm bowlers’ economy rate (11.86) became a problem for the team in the six games that he played. Also, fans would remember him for getting hit for two back-to-back sixes against Gujarat’s Rahul Tewatia in the last two balls of the game.
2. Nathan Ellis
The Aussie was bought back by Punjab this year. He drastically improved on his average (18) and strike rate (12) in the 2022 edition, but only played two games.
The reason he could be released is that he isn’t even the second-choice player in the squad. This was evident in the number of games he played this year.
3. Ishan Porel
The uncapped pacer has played only one game in the last couple of seasons. His omission has been unfortunate as he has a wonderful record in the domestic arena.
The right-arm pacer has played 22 games and has 30 wickets averaging 17.90, striking at 16, and has an economy rate of 6.71. In the presence of players such as Vaibhav Arora, Kagiso Rabada, Sandeep Sharma, etc, it looks difficult for him to feature in the playing XI. Hence, he might be released next year.
