"Punjab Kings were down in the dumps" - Aakash Chopra picks the sides which got stronger or weaker after the IPL 2022 Auction

Aakash Chopra believes the Punjab Kings (PBKS) are one of the teams who have made significant improvements to their squad with their picks at the IPL 2022 Auction.

PBKS had to let go of KL Rahul as their former skipper didn't want to be retained by the franchise. The IPL 2014 finalists opted to retain just two players - Mayank Agarwal and Arshdeep Singh - ahead of the mega auction.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra was asked to pick the teams that got stronger and weaker respectively after the auction. He responded:

"Punjab [Kings] was down in the dumps, they were playing badly continuously. Now they have a team with which they can wish to win the tournament. They have got almost everything covered."

While observing that the Delhi Capitals are as strong as earlier, the cricketer-turned-commentator picked the Rajasthan Royals as the other franchise that made the best use of the auction. Aakash Chopra said:

"Rajasthan Royals - they used to play with an almost non-existing bowling. But they have now emerged as a very good team. Delhi was already strong, so I won't say anything about them."

The Punjab Kings and the Rajasthan Royals have both assembled a strong unit this time around. The two franchises will hope to make at least the playoff stage in IPL 2022.

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"Mumbai Indians have gone a little down" - Aakash Chopra

The Mumbai Indians have been hit hard by the mega auction

Aakash Chopra feels that while the Chennai Super Kings have held their ground, the Mumbai Indians have lost a bit of their might. He elaborated:

"I think Mumbai [Indians] have gone a little down. They have become a little weaker as compared to the last season. Chennai is standing where they were earlier, there has not been much change in them."

The 44-year-old also feels that the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Sunrisers Hyderabad have moved in opposite directions. Chopra observed:

"Kolkata Knight Riders are also standing where they were last year. Sunrisers Hyderabad have become slightly weaker if you compare it to the last year. Gujarat Titans have just started, Lucknow is looking super good. RCB have become better than last time."

However, Aakash Chopra concluded by highlighting that the teams cannot be judged by what they have done at the auction and stated that the story on the ground can be very different.