Former player predicts one IPL team will suffer the most if England players leave midway

On Wednesday, it was confirmed that England Test captain Ben Stokes will leave the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 early due to international commitments. England is scheduled to face Ireland in a one-off Test just four days after the IPL 2023 final on May 28. This comes as a major concern for IPL teams who have added a good chunk of English players to their squad for the upcoming season.

Meanwhile, speaking in a video on his official YouTube channel, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra revealed the name of an IPL team who will suffer the most if the England cricketers leave early. Revealing his thoughts, Chopra said Punjab Kings will be at the biggest loss as they have players like Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, and Jonny Bairstow are on their side. Chopra mentioned that PBKS’ campaign will go down the hill if the English players decided to focus on international commitment.

"Because you didn't keep a backup for them"

"If all of these (contracted England Test) players decide to leave, it could be a problem. Punjab Kings will be at the biggest loss because they have the most English players - Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone and Jonny Bairstow. If all three go, the team will go down drastically. Sam Curran was very expensive. Liam Livingstone and Jonny Bairstow are important parts of the Punjab Kings' plans. The team can suddenly become very weak if both of them are not there because you didn't keep a backup for them,” said Chopra.

Several England cricketers were among the top buys by teams at the IPL 2023 Auction. Punjab Kings are scheduled to play their campaign opener at IPL 2023 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on April 1. PBKS will face Delhi Capitals in their last league game on May 13. Here’s a look at the full schedule of PBKS for the group stage of IPL 2023 and the full squad of Punjab.

Punjab Kings full squad for IPL 2023

Punjab Kings IPL 2023 squad: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Shahrukh Khan, Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jitesh Sharma, Raj Bawa, Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh, Baltej Singh, Nathan Ellis, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Brar, Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Mohit Rathee, Shivam Singh.

Punjab Kings full schedule for IPL 2023

• Match 1: April 1 - Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Mohali (3:30PM IST)
• Match 2: April 5 - Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings, Guwahati (7:30PM IST)
• Match 3: April 9 - Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings, Hyderabad (7:30PM IST)
• Match 4: April 13 - Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans, Mohali (7:30PM IST)
• Match 5: April 15 - Lucknow Super Giants vs Punjab Kings, Lucknow (7:30PM IST)
• Match 6: April 20 - Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mohali (3:30PM IST)
• Match 7: April 22 - Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings, Mumbai (7:30PM IST)
• Match 8: April 28 - Punjab Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants, Mohali (7:30PM IST)
• Match 9: April 30 - Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings, Chennai (3:30PM IST)
• Match 10: May 3 - Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians, Mohali (7:30PM IST)
• Match 11: May 8 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings, Kolkata (7:30PM IST)
• Match 12: May 13 - Delhi Capitals vs Punjab Kings, Delhi (7:30PM IST)
• Match 13: May 17 - Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals, Dharamsala (7:30PM IST)
• Match 14: May 19 - Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, Dharamsala (7:30PM IST)