IPL 2018: Kings XI Punjab release list of Probable Captains

The IPL auction has concluded and all the teams have fared well and stood a good chance to will the title. The new media rights have made the franchises richer by more than 100 crores. In the past, we have seen that teams like Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals do not spend fully from their auction purse. But this time around, teams have exhausted their purse of 80 crores. The biggest news of the tournament was the return of the Chennai Super Kings and the Rajasthan Royals.

While few teams have established captains, others need to appoint a player whom they deem fit for the role. Among them are the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Kings XI Punjab. The Punjab team does not have an international captain in their squad. They have had an active auction which saw them purchasing Chris Gayle at the last moment of the auctions. The KXIP think tank, who retained just one player in Axar Patel ahead of the auctions, did try their best to buy players who can help them lift their maiden IPL title.

KXIP run a fan poll on who should lead the side

KXIP have a new look to their side this time. The likes of R Ashwin, KL Rahul, and Yuvraj Singh are a part of the franchise. On their official website, Punjab posted a photograph of Yuvraj Singh, Axar Patel, Chris Gayle, R Ashwin and Aaron Finch, asking the fans as to who they think should lead the squad in the 11th edition. The big show Glenn Maxwell was the skipper last time but he failed to make an impact which saw him being released by the franchise. Punjab ended up being at the fifth position after winning seven matches and losing seven.

The team has been built from the scratch and it remains to be seen if the strategy works for them. Their best performance came in 2014 – when they reached the final, where they lost to Kolkata Knight Riders by three wickets. Virender Sehwag, coach of the franchise has given an aggressive look to the squad and this might be their best chance to go all the way.

Kings XI Punjab complete squad: Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Yuvraj Singh, Karun Nair, KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, David Miller, Aaron Finch, Marcus Stoinis, Mayank Agarwal, Ankit Rajpoot, Manoj Tiwary, Mohit Sharma, Mujeeb Zadran, Barinder Sran, Andrew Tye, Akshdeep Nath, Dwarshuis, Pardeep Sahu, Mayank Dagar, Manzoor Dar

KXIP likely playing XI: Chris Gayle/David Miller, Aaron Finch, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Yuvraj Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Andrew Tye, Ankit Rajpoot, Barinder Sran/Mohit Sharma