IPL 2021: 3 players Punjab Kings may consider retaining before the 2022 Mega Auction

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) failed to qualify for the Indian Premier League playoffs despite coming close. PBKS were close to qualifying last year as well but failed to perform well in their final few matches and crashed out. The same story repeated itself this year as PBKS lost crucial games towards the end of the league stage.

Many fans had expected the Punjab Kings to finish in the top 4 this year because of the talent they had in their squad. While there were some brilliant individual performances by the Kings in the tournament, there were also many areas where the Mohali-based franchise could have done better.

Their close defeats against the Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the UAE leg of IPL 2021 cost them a place in the top 4. With a mega auction coming up next year, the Punjab Kings team management will soon have to finalize the names they wish to retain before the auction.

The exact number of retentions allowed before IPL 2022 is not known as of now, but Punjab Kings may consider retaining the services of the following three players.

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#1 KL Rahul - Highest run-scorer of Punjab Kings in IPL 2021

KL Rahul played a fantastic knock of 98 runs against the Chennai Super Kings (Image Courtesy: IPLT20.com)

KL Rahul's batting performance was one of the few bright spots for the Punjab Kings in IPL 2021. The right-handed batter had won the Orange Cap last year, and this season he is number one on the batting charts after 54 league matches.

Rahul batted with incredible consistency throughout the tournament. He missed a match during the first phase of the season but still managed to score more runs than the other batters.

Since he has gained captaincy experience as well now, the Punjab Kings team management will probably look to retain their skipper for the coming seasons.

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#2 Mayank Agarwal

Mayank Agarwal was another batter who performed exceptionally well for the Punjab Kings in IPL 2021. The former Royal Challengers Bangalore star had great opening partnerships with captain KL Rahul.

Agarwal played 12 games in IPL 2021, aggregating 441 runs. Looking at how consistently the opening pair of Rahul and Mayank have performed over the last two seasons, the Punjab Kings will try to retain both of their Indian stars.

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#3 Mohammed Shami

Experienced Indian pacer Mohammed Shami has picked up wickets consistently for the Punjab Kings. The right-arm fast bowler was the most successful bowler for the Mohali-based franchise in the 2021 edition of the IPL.

Shami played in all 14 league matches for the Kings, picking up 19 wickets. He received great support from Arshdeep Singh. If PBKS wish to continue with the pairing of Singh and Shami, they can retain one of the two players and use their Right To Match Card for the other player.

Since the IPL 2022 Mega Auction rules are not out yet, it is tough to predict if either of the two pacers will be retained. However, if the rules allow retaining three Indian players, Shami can take up the third spot because of his experience.