Kings XI Punjab are one of just three teams in the IPL yet to taste the joy of winning the trophy. Their best ever performance came in 2014, when they reached the final but couldn’t get past Kolkata Knight Riders. Normal service resumed subsequently, with the franchise usually finishing in the bottom four.
Let's have a look at the KXIP squad which boasts some of the most expensive purchases at this season’s auction and evaluate their chances in IPL 2019:
Squad:
Ravichandran Ashwin (C), Chris Gayle, KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Sarfraz Khan, David Miller, Mandeep Singh, Andrew Tye, Ankit Rajpoot, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammad Shami, Hardus Viljoen, Varun Chakravarthy, Murugan Ashwin, Arshdeep Singh, Agnivesh Ayachi, Sam Curran, Moises Henriques, Harpreet Brar, Darshan Nalkande, Nicholas Pooran, Prabhsimran Singh.
Support Staff:
Coach: Mike Hesson
Batting coach: Sridharan Sriram
Bowling coach: Ryan Harris
Fielding coach: Craig McMillan
Physiotherapist: Brett Harrop
Strengths:
The big positive for this side is the strong Indian core. KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Ravichandran Ashwin and Mohammad Shami are good enough to fit into the playing XI of any side. They have all played for the national side and can be match-winners on their day.
Along with them, Punjab have some seasoned foreign recruits that include last season’s purple cap holder Andrew Tye, the ever-dangerous Chris Gayle and South Africa's David Miller who is known for taking the game away from the opposition singlehandedly.
Punjab had a good outing in the IPL auction too, purchasing exciting youngsters like Sam Curran, Varun Chakravarthy, Murugan Ashwin and Sarfraz Khan. It will be interesting to see if they live up to the high expectations of the owners.
Question marks:
Last season, Kings XI Punjab was a show run solely by KL Rahul. They started the season brilliantly and were on course for a top-four finish, but then failed miserably in the second part of the league, losing five matches in a row. They eventually finished seventh in the competition. Punjab must avoid running out of steam again.
Also, the fact that they have spent more than the other seven franchises in the auction could lead to mounting pressure on the younger players who were bought for a sum much higher than their base price.
However, the side will hope for a change in fortunes with a rejigged set of support staff in the upcoming season of the IPL.
Prediction:
KXIP started the 2018 season in magnificent fashion, winning six of their first seven matches. A spirited performance this time can lead them into the playoffs and with their bench strength, we may even see them making it to the finals.
And you never know - this bunch can do what some of the best in the business couldn’t for the Mohali-based outfit in the last 12 years.
Best XI:
KL Rahul
Chris Gayle (F)
Mayank Agarwal
David Miller (F)
Karun Nair
Mandeep Singh
Sam Curran (F)
Ravichandran Ashwin (C)
Varun Chakaravarthy
Andrew Tye (F)
Mohammed Shami
KXIP's fixtures:
25 March - RR vs KXIP
27 March - KKR vs KXIP
30 March - KXIP vs MI
1 April - KXIP vs DC
History:
2008: 3rd
2009: 5th
2010: 8th
2011: 5th
2012: 6th
2013: 6th
2014: 2nd
2015: 8th
2016: 8th
2017: 5th
2018: 7th