Last Updated on 5 years by Charbel Coorey
KXIP IPL 2020 Preview: Finally the Kings’ XI? | Can Kings XI Punjab win their first ever IPL Title?
What comes to your mind when you hear the name “Kings XI Punjab”? Inconsistency, disappointment or something else?
Inconsistency and disappointment has been the story of Kings XI Punjab over the last 12 years of the Indian Premier League. They have failed to assemble a well-balanced squad over the years, and this has been the main reason for their poor performance in the IPL. They have qualified for the playoffs only twice in 12 years; last in 2014, which means they’ve not qualified for the playoffs in the last five seasons.
Their win percentage in the IPL is only better than the Delhi Capitals amongst the eight active teams in the history of the IPL.
But this season is absolutely different. They’ve done a very good job in the auction and their squad is looking strong ahead of IPL 2020, with almost all bases covered. With a new captain-coach duo and some very exciting players, can this season be the year for the Kings from Punjab? Let’s take a look.
Watch: CricBlog caught up with Cricket with Sparsh to analyse the Kings XI Punjab squad ahead of IPL 2020. Watch the video here.
KXIP Squad for IPL 2020:
KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Mohammed Shami, Nicholas Pooran, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Chris Gayle, Mandeep Singh, Mayank Agarwal, Hardus Viljoen, Darshan Nalkande, Sarfaraz Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Murugan Ashwin, K Gowtham, J Suchith, Glenn Maxwell, Sheldon Cottrell, Deepak Hooda, Ishan Porel, Ravi Bishnoi, James Neesham, Chris Jordan, Tajinder Dhillon, Prabhsimran Singh.
Strengths of Kings XI Punjab:
1. Explosive Batting Order
Kings XI Punjab has a very aggressive batting order this season that can tear apart any bowling line-up. Skipper KL Rahul, Chris Gayle (when picked) and Mayank Agarwal form a very strong top-order. KL Rahul is as consistent as anyone in T20s for them, while we all know how capable the “Universe Boss” is, even at his age. Karun Nair, Glenn Maxwell, Nicholas Pooran, Jimmy Neesham, Sarfaraz Khan, etc. in the middle-order makes their batting one of the strongest in the league.
Maxwell and Pooran are capable of scoring at a high strike-rate even in the middle overs, and are also capable of going bonkers at the death. Their batters play spin and pace very well, and looks to be their main strength going into this season.
2. KL-Kumble Duo
Management and leadership have been areas where KXIP has been very poor in the last 12 years. Apart from George Bailey, they haven’t had a strong skipper to lead them. They’ve shuffled between too many captains in the last few seasons, and that has affected the team and eventually their performance.
Anil Kumble is the head coach for them this season with KL Rahul as the captain. Anil Kumble did well as the coach of the Indian team and has already done very well in the auction. At the same time, expectations are high from KL Rahul and he looks very confident as a captain. The owners will hope that the Karnataka boys will do well for them in IPL 2020.
Also read: Anil Kumble would like to see more Indian coaches in the IPL
3. Blend of Youth + Experience
The KXIP squad has a great balance of youth and experience. They have some very exciting young talent in Ravi Bishnoi, Ishan Porel, Krishnappa Gowtham, Mandeep Singh, and few other youngsters in the side. They can bring energy to the squad and have the potential to become IPL superstars in the future.
On the other hand, they have players like Chris Gayle, KL Rahul, Glenn Maxwell, Mohammad Shami, and coach Anil Kumble to guide the youngsters to perform well. This mixture of young and experienced players is a key strength, and they’ll hope that this helps them achieve new heights in this year’s IPL.
Weaknesses of Kings XI Punjab:
1. Death Bowling
Death bowling has been an issue for Kings XI Punjab for quite some time now. In fact, Punjab’s bowling has leaked 8.42 runs per over in IPL history, which is the worst amongst active teams. This year, their death bowling looks shaky once again, with over-dependency on Chris Jordan to deliver in the death overs.
They have conceded runs at a rate of 10.41 runs per over at the death, which is the worst after RCB. They have Mohammad Shami and Sheldon Cottrell in the squad, but they are inconsistent in the death overs; a period where one bad over can be curtains for the side in a match.
Anil Kumble and KL Rahul will expect Mohammad Shami and Sheldon Cottrell to take responsibility and bowl well in the death overs.
2. No Back-ups for Pacers
Mohammad Shami, Sheldon Cottrell, and Chris Jordan are the lead pacers, with Ishan Porel assisting them. All of them are excellent bowlers, but the IPL is a very long tournament with each team to play 14 games in the league stages. A worry for KXIP is that they don’t have any strong backup options for their pacers in case someone is injured.
Ishan Porel is very young and inexperienced, while Jimmy Neesham bowls well but doesn’t bring the value of a specialist pacer. The other pacers in the squad don’t inspire as much confidence. So, KXIP will have to look after their pacers and manage their workload well.
3. Inexperienced Spin Attack
The spin attack of the KXIP is inexperienced this season, especially after Ravi Ashwin’s departure from the side. Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ravi Bishnoi, Murugan Ashwin, Krishnappa Gowtham, and Glenn Maxwell are the spinners this season. Maxwell can chip in with few overs, while Mujeeb has experience of playing other T20 leagues but has played only 16 games in the IPL. This will be Ravi Bishnoi’s first IPL and Murugan Ashwin is still a work in progress.
Overall their spin attack looks good and Anil Kumble is also there, but the presence of an experienced spinner on the field helps the youngsters a lot, particularly when they are under pressure. So this can be a bit of a problem for KXIP in IPL 2020.
Verdict
Kings XI Punjab’s squad is looking well balanced and very strong on paper. Their batting is their main strength with some world-class batters in the batting order. Glenn Maxwell and Nicholas Pooran are the X-factors for them. The balance between Domestic and Overseas players is also good.
Their main challenge will be to keep the momentum going after the first few initial wins. They must avoid getting off-track in the later phase of the tournament. KL Rahul gives so much confidence as a leader and expectations are high from he and Anil Kumble this season. They have to perform up to their full potential and they can be one of the top teams this season if they can do that.
This was our squad analysis of the Kings XI Punjab for IPL 2020.
Thanks for reading!
Written by Robin Rounder – follow Robin on Twitter today.
Watch: CricBlog caught up with Cricket with Sparsh to analyse the Kings XI Punjab squad ahead of IPL 2020. Watch the video here.
