IPL 2018: KKR v KXIP, Match 18 - Kings XI Punjab Predicted XI

After a power-packed performance against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, the Kings XI Punjab are on a roll are aiming to take the top spot in the points table. They have a strong batting lineup and with the resurgence of Chris Gayle, they now look way too ominous.

Ravichandran Ashwin surprised everyone by opting to bat first at Mohali. He was the first captain this season to have opted to bat first after winning the toss. He ended up on the winning side and that stroke of genius from the skipper had a huge role to play. Ashwin is certainly leading the side from the front.

Much to the delight of the skipper and management, their bowling department did an incredible job in the Powerplay and the middle overs. They ensured the Sunrisers never had a chance in the match and eventually won the game by 15 runs. Here’s the predicted XI of the Kings XI Punjab for their big clash against the Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens.

Openers – (Chris Gayle and KL Rahul)

Chris Gayle announced his arrival in the IPL with a sensational hundred on Thursday. Against a world-class bowling attack of the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gayle smashed 11 sixes and one four en route to his 6th IPL century. He will be hogging a lot of limelight as he has a great record at the Eden Gardens.

KL Rahul has undoubtedly been their best player this season, stepping up to the occasion almost every game. He is striking the ball pretty cleanly and is well in contention for this year’s Orange cap. He has already formed a great partnership with Gayle and it’ll be interesting to see how things will pan out from now.

Middle Order – (Karun Nair, Mayank Agarwal, Yuvraj Singh, Aaron Finch)

Mayank Agarwal once again got off to a good start and squandered the opportunity of scoring a big knock. Yet, he will get a few more games to prove himself. Karun Nair has been the dark horse of this lineup and has been coming up with pivotal contributions in almost every game this season.

Yuvraj Singh’s forgettable IPL campaign is continuing as he didn’t get to bat in the previous game. He also dropped an absolute sitter in the field, which won’t do any good to his confidence levels. Aaron Finch got off the mark after those two golden ducks and looked in fine touch towards the end of the innings.

All-rounders – (Ravichandran Ashwin)

Axar Patel might not be coming into the lineup as Barinder Sran delivered a top-class performance with the ball. Although he leaked runs in his final over, he gave away just 9 runs in his first 3 overs. Hence, skipper Ravichandran Ashwin will be their only all-rounder in the lineup.

The skipper was fantastic with the ball and also with his subtle bowling changes. He certainly is a capable batsman down the order and we have seen his batting exploits in the game against Royal Challengers Bangalore. He really is an unpredictable captain and it’ll be interesting to see how he’ll surprise the viewers in the next game.

Bowlers – Andrew Tye, Mujeeb Zadran, Mohit Sharma, Barinder Sran

Andrew Tye was exceptional in the previous game against the Sunrisers, picking up two crucial wickets and giving away just 23 runs in his 4 overs. His knuckleball earned him the wickets of Kane Williamson and Deepak Hooda. Mujeeb Zadran didn’t get any wickets, but his 0/27 spell ensured the required rate went up astronomically.

Mohit Sharma was a little expensive in the early stages of the game against SRH, but he managed to pick up a few wickets as well. Barinder Sran was outstanding in the Powerplay and though he didn’t return with any wickets, his spell did help the side gain early momentum with the ball.

Here’s KXIP Predicted XI for the game against KKR