Punjab Kings is one of the most popular franchises in the Indian Premier League. The Mohali-based franchise have been a part of the IPL since its inception. They made their first appearance in 2008 and qualified for the semifinals. However, since then, they have managed to finish in the Top 4 of the points table only once, which was in 2014. Punjab finished runners-up in that tournament.
In the last 14 years, several big names of world cricket like Chris Gayle, Yuvraj Singh, Mahela Jayawardene, Brett Lee, Irfan Pathan, Mitchell Johnson, Virender Sehwag and KL Rahul have played for the Punjab Kings.
Interestingly, three former PBKS players, including two Indians, decided to switch their national team to USA. Here’s a list of those three names.
1. Former Punjab Kings opener Sunny Sohal
Sunny Sohal played 11 matches for the Kings during the initial IPL seasons. He scored 119 runs for the Mohali-based franchise at a disappointing average of 11.90. After playing a few seasons for the Deccan Chargers, Sohal decided to retire from Indian cricket and start a new career in the USA. He has already represented the American cricket team in three T20I matches.
2. Former Punjab Kings all-rounder Bipul Sharma
Many fans remember Bipul Sharma for his match-winning role in SunRisers Hyderabad’s IPL 2016 championship win. Sharma is a left-handed batsman and a left-arm spin bowler. Before joining SRH, he played 15 matches for the Kings, scoring 104 runs and scalping eight wickets. After going unsold at recent auctions, he decided to switch to the USA.
3. Juan Theron
Former South African pacer Juan Theron, popularly known as Rusty Theron, has already moved to the USA as well. There was a time when Theron represented Punjab in the Indian Premier League. He played seven matches for the team, scalping six wickets at an economy rate of 7.79.
