Kings XI Punjab is the Tottenham Hotspur of the Indian Premier League. Inspite of having a strong team, they fail to finish the tournament well and often get placed at the bottom of the table. The Kings from Mohali reached the last four only once and failed to make the cut again in the next five editions. They went for a complete overhaul of their squad that failed to perform well in the tournament. They made full use of the 2014 IPL auctions and strengthened their squad. They go into the seventh edition of the Indian Premier League as the strongest team and have the perfect balance in the team. Here we bring you what Priety Zinta led team have in store for the seventh edition of the IPL

Kings XI Punjab in IPL:

Season	Final Position
2008	Fourth Place
2009	Fifth Place
2010	Eighth Place
2011	Fifth Place
2012	Sixth Place
2013	Sixth Place

Kings XI Punjab Squad for IPL 2014:

Indian Players:

Batsmen:

Bowlers:

All Rounders:

Wicket-Keeper(s):

Wriddhiman Saha

Overseas Players:

Batsmen:

Bowlers:

All-Rounders:

Strengths:

They have the strong batting order.
They can chase down big totals with ease.
Kings XI have a handful of decent All-Rounders.
Mitchell Johnson can be lethal with the new ball.
Most of their players are in good form.
Glenn Maxwell is at his destructive best and that is a good news for the team management.
George Bailey brings a lot of value to the team as the captain of the side.
Playing majority of their matches at home makes it easier for them.

Weakness:

Bowling looks a strong concern for the Kings XI.
Poor spin bowling resources. If Murali Kartik has a bad day, there is no one else to back up.
No perfect backing for Mitchell Johnson.
They do not bat deep and that could be a huge factor while chasing.

Kings XI went into this year’s IPL auction retaining just two players – Manan Vohra (surprise) and David Miller – and came out of it with a bagful of scalps. Pundits felt Kings XI did best business during the auction. They utilized their purse wisely and also picked up match-winners in the process. Their batting line-up now boasts of top players like Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, George Bailey, Virender Sehwag, Thisara Perera and Miller. Their bowling will be led by Aussie paceman Mitchell Johnson, who was a prized scalp for the Kings at the auction. Besides Johnson, South African pacer Beuran Hendricks and Indian duo of Parvinder Awana and L Balaji make up a decent fast-bowling attack. Allrounders Rishi Dhawan and Perera will also add to the pace department. However, one area which would worry the Kings is their spin-bowling resources. At present, left-arm spinner and former India international Murali Kartik is the lone flag-bearer in this department with a couple of rookies. The IPL will also be a test for new coach Sanjay Bangar. His calm nature and calculative mind will bring sanity into a dressing room packed with stars.

Possible Playing XI:

Virender Sehwag, Cheteshwar Pujara, Wriddhiman Saha, Glenn Maxwell, David Miller, George Bailey, Murali Kartik, Mitchell Johnson, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Sandeep Sharma, Parvinder Awana.

2014 IPL Schedule:

Match No.	Date	Opponent	Venue	Time
1	18-4-2014	Chennai Super Kings	Abu Dhabi	4:00 PM
2	20-4-2014	Rajasthan Royals	Sharjah	8:00 PM
3	22-4-2014	Sunrisers Hyderabad	Sharjah	8:00 PM
4	26-4-2014	Kolkata Knight Riders	Abu Dhabi	8:00 PM
5	28-4-2014	Royal Challengers Bangalore	Dubai	8:00 PM
6	3-5-2014	Mumbai Indians	Mumbai	4:00 PM
7	7-5-2014	Chennai Super Kings	Cuttack	8:00 PM
8	9-5-2014	Royal Challengers Bangalore	Bangalore	4:00 PM
9	11-5-2014	Kolkata Knight Riders	Cuttack	4:00 PM
10	14-5-2014	Sunrisers Hyderabad	Hyderabad	4:00 PM
11	19-5-2014	Delhi Daredevils	Delhi	8:00 PM
12	21-5-2014	Mumbai Indians	Chandigarh	8:00 PM
13	23-5-2014	Rajasthan Royals	Chandigarh	8:00 PM
14	25-5-2014	Delhi Daredevils	Chandigarh	4:00 PM

2014 IPL Team Preview: Kings XI Punjab

Leave a comment