Punjab Kings splashed the cash in IPL 2022 mega auction, but they still missed out on a playoff berth by the slightest of margins. In the aftermath, the Mohali-based franchise had decided to not renew the contract of head coach Anil Kumble, and they are now on the verge of appointing Trevor Bayliss as their new head coach a report by PTI.
In a bid to get their hands on the elusive IPL title, the PBKS management is set to rope in the ex-England World Cup-winning head coach, who famously guided the Three Lions to their maiden ODI World Cup title in 2019.
Bayliss has plenty of experience in the IPL as well, he has previously coached Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), and he was the head of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) support staff when they won the IPL back in 2014 and 2012.
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He will take over from Kumble, who failed to lead the PBKS side to playoffs during his three-year term with the IPL side.
The 59-year-old from New South Wales will be hoping to take his new franchise all the way. The closest they ever came to winning the elusive IPL trophy was back in 2014 when they lost in the final against KKR. Since then, PBKS have never qualified for the playoffs.
“The team has decided to go ahead with Trevor who is among the best in the business and has a proven record. The management is hoping that the team goes on to win the title under his guidance,” an IPL source told PTI.
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The paperwork on Bayliss’ signing is expected to be completed soon.
Punjab, a team which could not perform to the optimum level consistently since IPL’s inception in 2008, have finished sixth in the last four seasons.
They have a tendency to blow hot and cold, contributing to their downfall. That is one aspect Bayliss would surely like to work on when he joins the team. In the most recent IPL, they failed to string two wins in a row in the league stage, effectively leading to their early exit.
Another important decision the management has to make is about captaincy. Mayank Agarwal had taken over from K L Rahul last season but he could not meet the expectations with the bat.
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The owners and management have a lot of faith in Agarwal’s abilities and he could get another year to lead the side.
He and Arshdeep Singh were the only two players Punjab had retained ahead of the 2022 IPL.
With inputs from PTI
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