In the ten years of the Indian Premier League, only two regular teams have not been able to clinch their maiden title. One is Delhi Daredevils while the other is Kings XI Punjab.
This time around, the two sides have come up with a powerful-yet-balanced squad, in the pursuit of their first silverware in the tournament.
The strength of the side is the number of Indian internationals present in the squad when it comes to the batting department. Also, they have an enviable foreign contingency in their rosters.
Challenges for the franchise would be captaincy of Ravi Ashwin along with his ability to manage the stars within the squad.
Assuming that all players are available, here’s a look at the Probable XI for KXIP in the tournament.
Openers (Mayank Agarwal, Aaron Finch)
Looking at the red-hot form of Karnataka opener Mayank Agarwal, it would be a cardinal sin to make him warm the benches. With over 2000 runs in a single domestic season, Mayank Agarwal is a must in the opening slot.
This makes only one other spot available for openers on their roster. KXIP assumably would prefer Australian T20 giant Aaron Finch over Chris Gayle. Finch is scheduled to miss a couple of matches up front. This would give the nod ahead to Gayle.
Middle Order (KL Rahul, Yuvraj Singh, David Miller)
Looking at the squad of the Kings XI Punjab, their middle order may turn out to be their biggest strength. Free-flowing stroke maker KL Rahul would be looking to keep up with the tempo set by the openers.
The lion is back in his den. Chandigarh boy Yuvraj Singh would be hoping to contribute with the bat and cement his spot at the number 4 position. KXIP have an option of going ahead with the likes of Karun Nair and Manoj Tiwary if Yuvi fails to deliver with the bat.
David Miller has been a quintessential figure over the years for KXIP franchise. Preity Zinta and co. used their RTM card to retain the South African for providing the finishing blows after 15th over.
All-rounders (Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin)
Their depth provides the balance in the Kings XI Punjab side in the all-rounder department. Marcus Stoinis can chip in with few vital strikes down the order as well as consistently bowl 2-3 overs per match.
Axar Patel was the only retained player by the Punjab side before the auctions this year. With his deadly accuracy, economical four overs, and use of the long handle, Axar is must in the playing XI.
The depth in KXIP batting can be deduced looking at Ashwin batting at number 8. Ashwin’s captaincy would be the deciding factor for their chances of reaching the playoffs.
Bowlers (Andrew Tye, Barinder Sran, Mohit Sharma)
The only possible criticism one might make looking at KXIP this year is back up for Andrew Tye. Perth Scorchers’ star, Tye, is one of the most sought-after names in franchise cricket, especially after clinching three hattricks in a single season.
So the question arises, who would be the back up for Tye. Kings XI Punjab, then, would have to resort to bowling services from Rajpoot, Sran and Mohit Sharma, which appears to be fragile.
Further, KXIP can play around their bowling with exciting Afghan teenager Mujeeb Zadran, who is quickly rising within the ranks, providing the X-factor for Kings’ XI.
Kings XI Punjab Squad
Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Ravichandran Ashwin, Andrew Tye, Aaron Finch, Marcus Stoinis, Karun Nair, Mujeeb Zadran, Ankit Singh Rajpoot, David Miller, Mohit Sharma, Barinder Singh Sran, Yuvraj Singh, Chris Gayle, Ben Dwarshuis, Akshdeep Nath, Manoj Tiwary, Mayank Agarwal, Manzoor Dar, Pardeep Sahu, Mayank Dagar
