Dream11 IPL 2020 disaster makes Punjab already name players to be released for 2021?

KL Rahul-led Punjab’s high-flying yet uneven campaign in the Dream11 Indian Premier League 2020 (IPL 2020) season came to a conclusion on November 1 by suffering a nine-wicket defeat to a down-and-out Chennai unit. Even though the franchise revamped their squad to some extent at the Dream11 IPL 2020 auction last December, they now have to remain content by being ranked sixth on the points table. With Dream11 IPL 2021 just a few months away, several sources indicate that the team management is now looking to make some adjustments to their line-up.

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Punjab to continue with KL Rahul and others, Glenn Maxwell’s fate hangs in balance

According to a PTI report, a source revealed that the Punjab franchise is looking to continue with their captain-coach combo of KL Rahul and Anil Kumble for the next edition as well. KL Rahul finished his Dream11 IPL 2020 campaign by becoming the leading run-scorer of the season, despite Punjab playing fewer matches than the top four sides. On the other hand, the recently-concluded season was Indian cricketing icon Anil Kumble’s first coaching venture with the Punjab franchise.

Apart from KL Rahul, his batting teammates Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran also enjoyed a prodigious touch with the bat this season. Chris Gayle, who made his Dream11 IPL 2020 debut halfway into Punjab’s campaign, clobbered 23 sixes in seven innings and ended up being their fourth highest scorer of the season. On the other hand, Mayank Agarwal scored 424 runs in 11 innings and Nicholas Pooran aggregated 353 runs at a thumping strike-rate of 169.71.

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According to the aforementioned PTI reports, Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell and West Indies pace sensation Sheldon Cottrell are likely to be released by the franchise. While Maxwell scored only 108 runs in 13 matches at an average of 15.42 without hitting any six, Cottrell picked six wickets in his six matches at an expensive economy rate of 8.80. Interestingly, both cricketers were also Punjab’s most expensive purchases at the Dream11 IPL 2020 auction back in December 2019.

The source said, "Their (Glenn Maxwell and Sheldon Cottrell) performances was not on expected lines and it will be tough to continue with them”. Apparently, an official call is yet to be made by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in regards to the auction event for the Dream11 IPL 2021 season. In case of no mega auction (as earlier scheduled), the Punjab franchise may make additions or player exchanges in a mini auction.

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