New Delhi: A restructured Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) have all the required ingredients to achieve success in the upcoming IPL. However, they have to ensure that good starts are not squandered. Also their overseas combination must come to party in a proper manner. Chris Gayle, Glenn Maxwell and Chris Jordan are the most important players among the foreigners in the KXIP line-up.
KXIP went into the auction last year with the biggest prize purse. They ended up purchasing nine players to solidify their iffy middle order and death bowling.
They have got Glenn Maxwell back in the middle order. KXIP also have found death-bowling options in Sheldon Cottrell and Chris Jordan. So it seems KXIP have their bases covered.
They already had a dangerous opening pairing in Gayle and KL Rahul Then there is Mayank Agarwal, who is aiming to replicate his international success in the IPL, to follow. KXIP will also have to find a way to play Nicholas Pooran regularly. The West Indian had a very successful campaign in CPL. Either Mandeep Singh or Sarfaraz Khan is likely to support Maxwell in the middle-order for most of the league stage.
The season will also be a big captaincy test for Rahul. He has been given the leadership role at the back of two stellar seasons as an opener. Rahul has said he will have to rely on support of head coach Anil Kumble to deal with the high-pressure challenge.
Besides Cottrell and Jordan, other fast bowling resources include spearhead Mohammad Shami. Then there is James Neesham, Hardus Viljoen, Darshan Nalkande, Arshdeep Singh and Ishan Porel.
Spin is expected to play a big role on the UAE pitches. However, KXIP don’t have any big names in that department. Mujeeb Zadran is the sole established name but he played only five games last year.
They traded offie K Gowtham and left-arm spinner J Suchith from Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals (DC) respectively. But then these two don’t inspire a lot of confidence. However, hopes will be high from leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, who impressed in the 2020 U-19 World Cup.
It will be really interesting to see which of the best four KXIP regularly pick among eight high-quality overseas recruits. Maxwell is a certainty in the XI. However, it remains to be seen if Gayle, who will soon be 41, will continue to be regular feature at the top of the order.
Kumble has already said that he would want Gayle to have a bigger role in the team. He wants Gayle to mentor younger players.
Maxwell will take heart from the fact he had a memorable run for KXIP the last time the tournament was played in the UAE in 2014. In that edition, the Australian hammered 552 runs in 16 games. His contributions helped the team reach the final. That runners-up finish was the last time KXIP reached the play-offs.