IPL 10, Match 47, KXIP v GL - Kings XI Punjab Predicted XI

The Kings XI Punjab have managed to stay alive in the hunt this season by peaking at the right time. At one stage, they looked like crashing out of the competition with results not coming their way at all. However, their most recent showings have seen some or the other player stepping up to the occasion to help them overhaul the oppositions with ease. They have 10 points to their name in the points table with 4 games in hand.

If Kings XI Punjab manages to win all those four fixtures, they might well see themselves end among the top two and get two cracks at the finals of the tournament. However, that remains a far cry as of now. They need to win all their fixtures from here on and now have the Gujarat Lions as their first hurdle en route their big ask. One good thing that works well in their favor is that they will back to their den in Mohali.

Kings have had a great run at Mohali thus far and would want to capitalize on the good run there. Also, the fact that the Lions have not been in the best of the forms this season, will give them the confidence of coming out on top in the match. In any case, they would want to carry forward their winning momentum and come out as the winners in the fixture.

Here is the predicted XI of Kings XI Punjab for the KXIP v GL encounter:

Openers (Hashim Amla and Martin Guptill)

The opening duo for the Kings XI Punjab has been a great one this season in the last few matches. Ever since Martin Guptill has joined Hashim as the opener, the fortunes seemed to have turned for the Kings. Two of the top overseas players from the camp is opening for them this season and that has seen them getting good starts. Amla failed to get among the runs last match but has been batting with an average of over 50 this season.

On the other hand, Martin Guptill has been taking the attack to the opposition in the powerplays on a consistent basis. Guptill has smashed an unbeaten fifty against the Delhi Daredevils. It was his first fifty for the Kings outfit. He would be keen on getting a few more this season.

Middle Order (Manan Vohra, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Wriddhiman Saha)

The middle-order has been the inconsistent one for the KXIP camp this season. With the inclusion of Guptill as the opener, they have given themselves an option of playing Manan Vohra in the middle order. He has certainly been one of the few batsmen from the roster to be in a good form this season. Hence, Vohra has added the stability to the batting lineup.

Shaun Marsh has been the perennial run getter for the Kings in the history of the tournament. He has arguably been the most successful players for the KXIP lineup over the years and has been continuing his good run this season as well. He had recently scored a magnificent 84 in one of the fixtures that set him up at the KXIP top order. He is a key member of the batting lineup.

Glenn Maxwell, the KXIP skipper, has had a very quiet time with the bat in the recent times. He has failed to hit the straps right in the previous few games. His weaknesses against the leg-spinners have been widely exploited by the opposition bowlers. Maxwell had made a fantastic start to the season with a couple of unbeaten knocks. He would want to bat with the same frequency.

Wriddhiman Saha, the wicket-keeper, has been good with his gloves. However, when it comes to the batting, Saha has failed to get amongst the runs this season. He is due for a big score in this season. The kind of form he was in prior to the commencement of the tournament, should have seen him plundering runs. But it has not been the case.

All-rounders (Axar Patel)

Axar Patel has been the star all-rounder for Kings XI Punjab in the season so far. He struck a magnificent 17-ball 38 to help the team post 138 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the previous game. It was his knock that was arguably the difference between the two sides on the day. With the ball, Patel has been constantly getting wickets in the middle overs and has kept the run flow in check as well.

Bowlers (Mohit Sharma, Sandeep Sharma, Varun Aaron, T Natarajan)

In the bowling department, pacer Sandeep Sharma has been the star performer with the ball. He has not only been a successful bowler for the Kings XI Punjab but has been one of the top performers with the new ball this season. He has bagged 7 wickets in the last two matches and has won two consecutive Player of the Match awards this season. He will surely be high on confidence.

Sandeep Sharma has been well supported by the likes of T Natarajan and Mohit Sharma. Natarajan came into the season riding on a huge reputation. He has been a phenomenon in the domestic circuit and many tipped him to be the homegrown Mustafizur Rahman. However, the performances have been far from being impressive. Mohit Sharma has been bowling well with the new ball and has been very economical in the death overs with his slower balls.

Varun Aaron has been the solitary weak link in the bowling attack for now. He has failed to contribute to the team’s cause but can definitely rise to the occasion on his given day. He is likely to retain his place in the lineup.