India's KL Rahul dropped a place to sixth but Virat Kohli retained his eighth place in the latest ICC men's T20 International rankings issued on Wednesday.
PCB said it had given the option to all foreign players and support staff to withdraw from the tournament if they wanted to and franchises can replace them with local players and officials.
On paper, though, PBKS looks a tad more stronger than KKR.
Mumbai Indians' mega-stars will be making one last ditch effort to put their derailed Indian Premier League campaign back on track when they take on a confident Rajasthan Royals in their penultimate league match in Sharjah on Tuesday.
Plugging the runs at the backend of the Rajasthan innings and then getting Samson's wicket in the 20th over before Roy's assault -- not allowing Rajasthan's bowlers to settle tilted the match in Hyderabad's favour.
Endorsed by Virender Sehwag after seeing his array of strokeplay, Punjab Kings' Jitesh Sharma is the new talk of the town. 'I have worked hard on this (on his range of strokes). Playing straight is my strength. It is down to preparation again. I also try to learn a new shot every year or learn something new.'
Prabhsimran Singh's magnificent maiden IPL hundred and Harpreet Brar's four wicket haul helped Punjab Kings kept their slim play-off hopes alive with a comprehensive 31-run win over Delhi Capitals.
Mayank Agarwal believes that the franchise has built a title-winning squad for the IPL beginning March 26.
Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday roped in South Africa's left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi for the remainder of IPL scheduled to be held in the UAE from September 19.
Sealing their second T20 World Cup, England are now the first nation to hold both global white-ball trophies, having won the 50-over World Cup on home soil in 2019.
Punjab Kings head coach Anil Kumble was extremely satisfied with the new players, including Liam Livingstone and Odean Smith, coming to his franchise during the IPL 2022 Player Auction, the dynamics of which were "very different and challenging".
PHOTOS of the IPL 2023 match between Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals at the Himachal Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Friday.
West Indies opener Chris Gayle, who is a popular name among T20 leagues around the world, was not picked along Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga.
IMAGES from the T20 World Cup Super 12 match between South Africa and England, played in Sharjah on Saturday.
For Bangladesh, who have an abysmal World Cup record with just one of their seven wins since 2007 coming against a Test playing nation (West Indies), the key would be to exploit the conditions in their first ever T20I World Cup clash against England.
When was the last time we saw an IPL top 50 table without the names of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, M S Dhoni, and with Rishabh Pant getting almost the last empty seat? ask Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji as they list the 50 Most Valuable Players after the first 29 IPL 2022 games.
The top five includes Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav; both reminding the Indian selectors that they can still be formidable magicians.
'He (Stokes) always stands up in the biggest moments. He is a man who can take a lot of pressure on his shoulders and perform, and yeah, with him in the middle you know you have got a good chance.'
India is set to host the T20 World Cup later this year and Stokes feels it is the perfect opportunity for English players
How the IPL teams have shaped up after the auction.
India A completed their domination in the 50-over tri-series with a five-wicket thumping of England Lions in the final at the Kennington Oval, on Monday.
Chennai Super Kings have so far failed to display the stuff that won them the IPL last season, and new skipper Ravindra Jadeja must seek improvement on multiple fronts against Punjab Kings when they meet at the Brabourne stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
Kolkata Knight Riders are expected to continue with their risk-taking approach despite mixed returns when they on Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League, at the Wankhede stadium, in Mumbai on Friday.
It turned out to be a lop-sided contest as India were thoroughly outplayed in both batting and bowling by a dominant England.
IMAGES from the IPL 2022 game between RCB and Punjab Kings in Navi Mumbai, on Sunday
Both RCB and PBKS will have new captains at the helm in Faf du Plessis and Mayank Agarwal respectively
Sam Curran paced his innings beautifully, playing both spin and pace with ease. He was poised all through his innings and not once did he allow his focus to waver.
Royal Challengers Bangalore would look to build on the momentum when they take on a struggling Rajasthan Royals in their Indian Premier League match in Dubai on Wednesday.
Rajasthan Royals will take a lot of confidence after snatching a two-run victory from the jaws of defeat against Punjab Kings.
Punjab Kings have under-performed since IPL's inception, reaching the final only once in 14 attempts.
Even in a chaotic season like this one, full of upsets and last-ball finishes, there were some players who were consistent throughout the competition and featured heavily in the individual awards.
Full list of players released, retained and traded by all ten teams in the IPL.
KKR will head to the game with the belief that the side can win from any situation, which they have demonstrated time and again.
'For us, the aim is to understand white-ball cricket, how to play, new guys are playing. 50 over is an extension of T20. Maybe you take less risk in ODIs as compared to T20 cricket but you have to take it.'
'At No 3, potentially, I would be facing 100 balls, compared to maybe 60-70 like I normally do. I haven't looked to change too much, just might be facing a slightly different situation, especially when I'm starting off my innings.'
Julian Wood saw it coming before anyone else and the pioneering power-hitting coach reckons the role of cricketers with brute power will only increase in the rapidly evolving Twenty20 format, forcing the "touch and skill" batters to reinvent their game.
Eight teams have formed some of the best combinations from a pool of 64 top cricketers in the players' draft for T10League -- the limited ten-over format cricket -- that will be played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
KKR have so far failed to come together as a unit and slipped to sixth in the table after starting the tournament on a high against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
On the other hand, the Royals have managed to win only one of their three fixtures. They lost to Chennai Super Kings in their previous match to slip down to the sixth spot. Sanju Samson and his men will be eyeing a second win.
Two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders would strive for a handsome win over struggling Rajasthan Royals in their last round-robin game to stay ahead in the IPL play-offs race in Sharjah on Thursday.
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