PBKS SWOT Analysis, IPL 2024: Can Punjab Kings Lift Their Maiden Trophy?

Punjab Kings (PBKS) are gearing up for the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season under the leadership of Shikhar Dhawan. Punjab will look to end their search for the elusive IPL trophy after spending Rs 24.95 crores at the mini-auction in Dubai last year. In the previous season, Punjab Kings finished eighth on the points table, winning six matches and suffering eight losses. They haven't made the IPL playoffs since 2014 and it is something PBKS will look to make right in the upcoming campaign.

PBKS will enter the 2024 season with a mix of anticipation and scrutiny. After a high-spending mini-auction in December 2023, PBKS bought Harshal Patel, Chris Woakes, Rilee Rossouw, Ashutosh Sharma, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Shashank Singh, Tanay Thyagarajann and Prince Choudhary.

England's top-order batter Jonny Bairstow will also be up for selection after being ruled out due to a freak injury last year.

With the release of this year's schedule by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), PBKS will face Delhi Capitals (DC) in their tournament opener at Punjab Cricket Association New Stadium, Mullanpur on March 23.

As Punjab Kings prepare for the upcoming IPL season, we take a look at their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Strength

PBKS have a star-studded batting lineup with top-order batters like Shikhar Dhawan, Jonny Bairstow and Rilee Roussow in their ranks. They also have all-round firepower in Liam Livingstone, Sikandar Raza and Sam Curran at their disposal.

Jitesh Sharma's performances in recent seasons for PBKS also showcase his strong finishing capabilities where he can take any bowler to the cleaners on his day.

Apart from a strong batting lineup, Punjab boast a quality pace attack. The