IPL 2018, Match 2: Predicted XI of Kings XI Punjab vs Delhi Daredevils
Aug 2, 2019 at 3:21 PM
It will be an exciting encounter when Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) will square off against Delhi Daredevils (DD), in the second game of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The Punjab-base side has pretty well to plug in the holes that have derailed their journey in the past. They have a quality Indian players well supported by the overseas stars.
Under their new skipper, Punjab looks like one of the title contenders of this season.
Here is the predicted XI of Kings XI Punjab for their opening fixture of IPL 2018:
Chris Gayle:
The swashbuckling Windies batsman is the perennial legend in this format of the game.
Gayle is the only batsmen to score 10,000 runs in the Twenty20 cricket.
However, he was likely to go unsold, before Punjab roped him in the dying moments.
The left-handed batsman Gayle has the ability to terrorize the bowlers with his brutal hitting.
Mayank Agarwal:
Mayank Agarwal has had a dream run in the domestic circuit. With 1,160 runs in Ranji Trophy, 723 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and over 250 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali, he will be pairing Gayle to start the innings.
The left-right combination at the top can pave way for their middle-order to take over.
Lokesh Rahul (WK):
One of the few batsmen to hit a century in all three formats of the game, KL Rahul is a treat to watch, when in form.
Rahul has the quality to adjust to the situations and can also play a crucial role at the top.
However, he will have the added responsibility of donning gloves, which he is looking forward to.
Yuvraj Singh:
A legend of the limited-overs format, Yuvraj Singh returns to his home franchise with a sense of indifferent form.
The southpaw has the pedigree to change the course of the match in a matter of few balls.
However, it will be key for Yuvraj to start the tournament on a positive note.
Karun Nair:
Karun Nair is likely to be used as a floater depending on the situation of the match.
Nair has been in scintillating form this winter especially in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 trophy where he accumulated 379 runs (third on the list of top run-getters in the tournament) in nine matches at a strike rate of 173.85.
He will hope to continue his domestic form for the lions in the IPL.
David Miller:
Although David Miller has been out of the form of late, he still remains one of the hardest hitters of the cricket ball.
Over the years, the southpaw has produced quite a few delightful knocks. He needs to bring his superlative game in front if Punjab wants to put big scores.
Marcus Stoinis:
The all-rounder from Australia Marcus Stoinis holds the key to Punjab’s success in this edition.
Stoinis shot into fame when he pulverized the Kiwis attack into submission with a breathtaking 146 at Auckland. His blitz earned him an IPL contract with the Kings XI Punjab.
Although KXIP finish at the bottom, he did fairly well with both bat and ball.
How Stoinis fares this season, might just define KXIP’s campaign of 2018.
Ravichandran Ashwin (C):
India’s premier Test spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will have the added responsibility of leading the side. Every cricket lover is looking forward to Ashwin at the helm of KXIP.
However, of late he has had a tough time in the white-ball cricket.
Ashwin will look to bank on this IPL and make a comeback to India’s limited-overs side.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman:
The young off-spinner from Afghanistan has done reasonably well in his short stint after bursting onto the international scene.
With a lot of variation in his side, Mujeeb will be crucial to Punjab’s success in this season. He also did well in the recently concluded ICC 2018 World Cup Qualifiers.
Mohit Sharma:
Although Punjab has done remarkably well at the auctions, they have failed to cover all the bases. The Lions lacks depth in the pace bowling line-up.
This is where Mohit Sharma needs to rise up with loads of experience. He also has a good back of the hand of delivery in his armoury with which he can deceive the batsmen easily.
Barinder Sran:
The left-arm fast bowler has shown a lot of prospects in his early days. He can hurry the batsman with his extra pace at the beginning.
The exciting talent did fairly well with the Hyderabad side and will like to replicate his performance for his new side.
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