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Punjab Kings (PBKS) have been one of the biggest underachievers in Indian Premier League (IPL) history since its inception in 2008.
In the tournament's 15-year history, PBKS has only twice made the playoffs, reaching the final just once. One of the key contributing factors to Punjab's dismal showing in the previous editions of the IPL has been the lack of genuine all-rounders in the squad.
PBKS has often played only six frontline batters to facilitate the inclusion of five specialist bowlers or a deeper batting lineup, compromising on specialist bowling options.
While the franchise has tried to address the issue in the past with bowling all-rounders like Sam Curran and Chris Jordan, the team has never boasted of an all-rounder capable of batting in the top six of the batting order. PBKS hence bought Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikandar Raza in a bargain for his base price of ₹ 50 lakh this time.
Raza is just the third Zimbabwean cricketer to be bought at the IPL auction after Brendan Taylor in 2014 (SRH) and Tatenda Taibu in 2008 (KKR). He has been one of the most talked about and sought-out cricketers in the world over the last year thanks to his sensational form with both bat and ball.
With the start of the IPL less than a week away, we look at three reasons why Sikandar Raza should be in the playing eleven of PBKS.
# 1 Match-winner in batting and bowling for PBKS
T20 is a format where the outcome of a match or a team's performance in a tournament often comes down to the number of true all-rounders in the playing eleven. With the format being volatile and unpredictable, having players who can perform multiple roles at a high level often makes the difference between winning and losing.
From that perspective, they don't come much better than Sikandar Raza. The Zimbabwean has been one of the few cricketers to have put in match-winning performances with both and ball in white-ball cricket. The all-rounder boasts spectacular overall numbers, averaging 24 at a strike rate of 132 and having picked up 87 wickets at an average of 29 and an economy of just 7.40 runs per over in his T20 career.
PBKS have often had pure batters in their top six, which has led to them picking the extra bowler to make up the 20 overs. However, with Raza's presence, the side will benefit immensely as they have a proven T20 batter in their middle order who can bowl his off-spinners regularly.
# 2 The lone proven off-spinner in the PBKS squad
PBKS has tried to cover most bases in their squad as they try to recover from the disappointments of the previous IPLs and make the playoffs for the first time since 2014. The Punjab-based franchise has tried to acquire multiple batting, fast bowling, and spin bowling options to help their selection dynamics for different opponents and conditions.
In the spin department, PBKS boasts a proven leg spinner in Rahul Chahar and a slow left-arm spinner in Harpreet Brar. In a format where matchups play a crucial role at different stages of the match, the off-spinner against left-handers has often been used as a cutting-edge strategy by most captains.
Although Liam Livingstone can roll his arm over as a part-time off-spinner, Raza's presence in PBKS' playing eleven will ensure that a proven off-spinner will be playing at all times. In the T20 format, the Zimbabwean all-rounder averages an impressive 29.6 with the ball at an excellent economy of just 7.26 against left-handers.
# 3 Impressive form in 2022 and 2023
One of the most overlooked parameters in team selection is the current form of a particular player. In that sense, Sikandar Raza's imperious performances over the last 15 months should warrant him an automatic place in PBKS playing eleven.
In 2022, Raza was nominated for the ICC ODI Cricketer of the year and the ICC T20 Cricketer of the year award. In T20I's, the 36-year-old put up staggering numbers, averaging 35 at a strike rate of 151 and picking up 25 wickets at an economy rate of just 17.68 in 2022. He also starred for Zimbabwe in the 2022 ICC T20 World cup qualifiers, helping them qualify for the Super 12 stage.
Raza started 2023 from where he left off in 2022 by helping the Lahore Qalandars win the recently concluded PSL title. He was an integral part of the team, scoring 223 runs at a healthy average of 32 at an extraordinary strike rate of 180. In 21 T20 innings in 2023, Raza has averaged 37 with the bat at an explosive strike-rate of close to 150.
Sikandar Raza's T20 form since 2022 has been stellar, with match-winning performances in batting and bowling, and he should walk into Punjab's playing eleven to start the tournament.
